Brookings Area Thriving

[BigGoosie13]

Here is an interesting article about how fast Aurora is growing in the Brookings Register (https://brookingsregister.com/articl...on-the-prairie). It got me thinking, I graduated from SDSU in 2013 and I have 3 friends and their spouses that already own houses in Aurora, a co-worker that commutes all the way from there, and a friend currently living in Brokoings building a house in Aurora as well.

SGS (http://www.sgs.com/en/news/2017/03/b...s-south-dakota) just built a brand new facility combining office space.

A new Comfort Suites (http://www.sdsucollegian.com/news/ar...845b5d785.html) hotel and convention center is being built in Research Park that will accommodate visiting teams and just as importantly, visitors and researchers related to the higher academics of SDSU.

General Mills (http://www.argusleader.com/story/new...sdsu/87975458/) has moved their oat breeding program to Brookings.

Here is a recent Inside Keloland (http://www.keloland.com/news/article...ings-boutiques) about the Brookings economy.

None of the stuff I linked includes the all the new building SDSU has done academically, institutionally, and athletically. Seriously, not many communities provide as much support for their University as the community of Brookings does (http://www.ksfy.com/content/news/SDS...420766883.html).

Daktronics continues to swallow up more land east of I-29, and Larsen's, 3M, and First Bank & Trust still remain as the backbone of the town. I haven't heard how Bel-Brands is doing, but I assume no news is goods news.

I personally have a friend from hs who moved to Minneapolis for college, and after graduation moved to Brookings to start up her business and another who moved to the state of up north originally after graduation from SDSU, but, along with his parents relocated the family business from our hometown in the Jim River Valley to Brookings.

Swiftel continues to bring in bigger acts each year, although, to some of your chagrin it is modern country acts.

Also, the Thai Nachos and a glass of Mich Golden are just as good on Cubby's rooftop as they are inside.

[JackJD]

Re: Brookings Area Thriving

Nice post. Brookings is a great community that continues to find ways to get even better. While reading BigGoosie's post, I was reminded about the recent news of USD forming a committee to study whether moving the School of Law to Sioux Falls may assist in attracting the students they want. Quite a contrast.

[Rabbitball]

Re: Brookings Area Thriving

I heard recently that Brookings is projected to grow at 1000 people a year for the next 10 years. I can't find that in the news however. If that's true that is 40-50% growth in 10 years. How many other cities in America could say that

[WestSideRabbit]

Re: Brookings Area Thriving

Brookings is thriving. You mentioned Bel-Brands... They are doing fine but they are still not at 100% capacity yet because they don't think they can find the 40 more employees who would be required in order to hit peek operation. This sentiment is echoed by other manufacturers; they want to expand but are hesitant because of the lack of available workforce.

Brookings is in a REAL housing crunch in terms of affordable housing. There are lots of rental properties and 15% un-occupancy rate but people want to own. You are seeing housing in Volga, Aurora, and White start to grow because it is more affordable to build there.

These are certainly GOOD problems, but they are still problems that will need to be addressed.

[Rabbit74]

Re: Brookings Area Thriving

I was at a meeting yesterday where President Dunn indicated that SDSU's enrollment will be up this fall and may reach the 2010 record level. Enrollment had been flat or declining slightly since 2010 so it is great to see the turn around. They expect this to continue in the coming years. This is good news for Brookings as well obviously.

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: Brookings Area Thriving

Brookings is thriving. You mentioned Bel-Brands... They are doing fine but they are still not at 100% capacity yet because they don't think they can find the 40 more employees who would be required in order to hit peek operation. This sentiment is echoed by other manufacturers; they want to expand but are hesitant because of the lack of available workforce.

Brookings is in a REAL housing crunch in terms of affordable housing. There are lots of rental properties and 15% un-occupancy rate but people want to own. You are seeing housing in Volga, Aurora, and White start to grow because it is more affordable to build there.

These are certainly GOOD problems, but they are still problems that will need to be addressed.

YOU ARE SPOT ON WITH THIS!

It is a huge challenge. To grow further, companies like Bel Brands, 3M, Daktronics, Larson's and others need workers. Brookings has a very low unemployment rate (below 3%0 so there isn't much labor there. To attract more you need housing. That just isn't available at the moment. Towns like Aurora, Volga, and White amongst others are getting a boost but not enough to attract more business.

The other challenge is the wages available. When college is in session there is an over-abundance of part-time labor available. That makes it hard for companies to justify full-time positions with full benefits at times. Once the college out for summer there isn't as much of a need.

This isn't meant as a complaint because Brookings is truly thriving. However, to hit the growth talked about above there needs to be some solutions to fix the housing crunch.

SUPERBUNNY

[Nidaros]

Re: Brookings Area Thriving

Brookings is thriving. You mentioned Bel-Brands... They are doing fine but they are still not at 100% capacity yet because they don't think they can find the 40 more employees who would be required in order to hit peek operation. This sentiment is echoed by other manufacturers; they want to expand but are hesitant because of the lack of available workforce.

Brookings is in a REAL housing crunch in terms of affordable housing. There are lots of rental properties and 15% un-occupancy rate but people want to own. You are seeing housing in Volga, Aurora, and White start to grow because it is more affordable to build there.

These are certainly GOOD problems, but they are still problems that will need to be addressed.

I would agree, these are good problems to have.
The affordable housing was a problem when I relocated 12 years ago in 2005. RE listings would come out on Tuesday and by Thursday your agent would be calling you to find out if you wanted to counter-offer which works in the seller's favor since they often got more than their original listing price. When you went looking at the new listings, say on Wednesday, the dinning table was covered with agent calling cards, so that told me I had a great deal of competition. After about four weeks of this overwhelming competition, I told my agent that I would consider surrounding communities, and there just happen to be new spec house on the market in Arlington and that is how I ended up there. I would not like to be looking for affordable housing in Brookings today. It's only gotten worse. I have brand new neighbors who I have not met, but they are a younger couple that moved down from Fargo ND. The man of the house works at a manufacturing company in Watertown. His wife is an architect. I visited briefly with thw dad of this guy who was doing the leg work in unloading a U Haul truck. There are more people moving in and from other places than we realize. A brand new house in back of me has been listed for two going on three years. I think there is a pricing problem when you consider its size, but maybe things will be looking up in Arlington as the result of the Brookings boom. We are only 22 miles away.

[SDSUAlum08]

Re: Brookings Area Thriving

Here is an interesting article about how fast Aurora is growing in the Brookings Register (https://brookingsregister.com/articl...on-the-prairie). It got me thinking, I graduated from SDSU in 2013 and I have 3 friends and their spouses that already own houses in Aurora, a co-worker that commutes all the way from there, and a friend currently living in Brokoings building a house in Aurora as well.

SGS (http://www.sgs.com/en/news/2017/03/b...s-south-dakota) just built a brand new facility combining office space.

A new Comfort Suites (http://www.sdsucollegian.com/news/ar...845b5d785.html) hotel and convention center is being built in Research Park that will accommodate visiting teams and just as importantly, visitors and researchers related to the higher academics of SDSU.

General Mills (http://www.argusleader.com/story/new...sdsu/87975458/) has moved their oat breeding program to Brookings.

Here is a recent Inside Keloland (http://www.keloland.com/news/article...ings-boutiques) about the Brookings economy.

None of the stuff I linked includes the all the new building SDSU has done academically, institutionally, and athletically. Seriously, not many communities provide as much support for their University as the community of Brookings does (http://www.ksfy.com/content/news/SDS...420766883.html).

Daktronics continues to swallow up more land east of I-29, and Larsen's, 3M, and First Bank & Trust still remain as the backbone of the town. I haven't heard how Bel-Brands is doing, but I assume no news is goods news.

I personally have a friend from hs who moved to Minneapolis for college, and after graduation moved to Brookings to start up her business and another who moved to the state of up north originally after graduation from SDSU, but, along with his parents relocated the family business from our hometown in the Jim River Valley to Brookings.

Swiftel continues to bring in bigger acts each year, although, to some of your chagrin it is modern country acts.

Also, the Thai Nachos and a glass of Mich Golden are just as good on Cubby's rooftop as they are inside.

Mike Hendricksen (sp?) would disagree. No one from outside the state wants to move to South Dakota.

I get a little upset when he says things like that as I currently live in Brookings with a young family and we love SD.

[BigGoosie13]

Re: Brookings Area Thriving

Mike Hendricksen (sp?) would disagree. No one from outside the state wants to move to South Dakota.

I get a little upset when he says things like that as I currently live in Brookings with a young family and we love SD.

Yeah, unfortunately for quite a few people in the Sioux Empire/Metro (whatever they call it), especially in the media, South Dakota ceases to exist as soon as you cross the Minnehaha and Lincoln borders.

[jackmd]

Re: Brookings Area Thriving

Mike Hendricksen (sp?) would disagree. No one from outside the state wants to move to South Dakota.

I get a little upset when he says things like that as I currently live in Brookings with a young family and we love SD.

Consider the source.......that said, SD does need to continue to do more to attract young people to our state and retain the talent that trains at our Universities.

[GopherHole]

Re: Brookings Area Thriving

Mike Hendricksen (sp?) would disagree. No one from outside the state wants to move to South Dakota.

I get a little upset when he says things like that as I currently live in Brookings with a young family and we love SD.

I love where I live near Kearney, NE. However, if the right opportunity would pop up within 50 miles of Brookings my wife and I would love to return to Brookings! We loved it when we lived there in the 80's and the town has so much more to offer now.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: Brookings Area Thriving

Yeah, unfortunately for quite a few people in the Sioux Empire/Metro (whatever they call it), especially in the media, South Dakota ceases to exist as soon as you cross the Minnehaha and Lincoln borders.

There are many things in Sioux Falls that are simply not available in Brookings. Apparently affordable housing is one of them, an available workforce seems to be another.

Mine and my wife's job do not exist anywhere else in the state. As I think of our group of friends, many are in the same boat. The quality/type of education my kids receive in Sioux Falls is not available in Brookings, at all. Sorry if that offends, but it is reality.

I grew up in the Brookings area, and LOVE it, but it is unrealistic to think I can or would want to move there.

Brookings is an awesome place to live if you like what it has to offer, but it is crazy to pretend other communities offer the same opportunities or people in Sioux Falls are banging on small town South Dakota for no reason.

[HoboJack]

Re: Brookings Area Thriving

The quality/type of education my kids receive in Sioux Falls is not available in Brookings, at all. Sorry if that offends, but it is reality.

I am legitimately interested in why you think this is true.

[Nidaros]

Re: Brookings Area Thriving

I am legitimately interested in why you think this is true.

I am curious too, but I suspect its a personal matter. SF Jack Fan keeps his cards close to his vest. I will say this that I am a product of the Brookings School system from the sixth grade thru high school. Way back in my time, 1950's, the intellectual influence from the hill attracted some of the best teachers in South Dakota and surrounding states. I regret not giving my best efforts and learning as much as possible. The quality of education and teaching skills have most likely gotten much better since then.

[Nidaros]

Re: Brookings Area Thriving

There are many things in Sioux Falls that are simply not available in Brookings. Apparently affordable housing is one of them, an available workforce seems to be another.

Mine and my wife's job do not exist anywhere else in the state. As I think of our group of friends, many are in the same boat. The quality/type of education my kids receive in Sioux Falls is not available in Brookings, at all. Sorry if that offends, but it is reality.

I grew up in the Brookings area, and LOVE it, but it is unrealistic to think I can or would want to move there.

Brookings is an awesome place to live if you like what it has to offer, but it is crazy to pretend other communities offer the same opportunities or people in Sioux Falls are banging on small town South Dakota for no reason.

No one is asking you to move to Brookings. That's not the point of this thread. The interesting growth patterns are pointed by Big Goosie and like JD said are a contrast to what is going on down in Vermillion. I have never lived in Vermillion but have often been told that the community of Vermillion keeps to themselves and is not very supportive of their university. In contrast to Brookings, there has been town and gown support since Day one. I think that is why Brookings is growing and Vermillion is not and has this nasty discussion about how to save the law school from moving to SF.

Many of your points are well taken such as housing and labor shortage.

Like yourself, I have grown up in the Sinai-Volga area and recall going to Brookings on Saturday afternoons when the population was less than 7000. Times have changed so much since then. Would I want to move back to LA, Chicago or even Dayton Ohio? No way but that's me.
Enjoy SF, you have shared your reasons why you live there and they are good reasons.