Sept. 15, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

This is not the typical pace of development.

Today, a new neighborhood awaits residents with 127 home lots.

One year ago, the farmer who owned it received a verbal commitment from a buyer.

That buyer was Brian Hefty, who owns Baltic-area-based Hefty Seed Co. and wanted his employees to have an easier time living near where they work.

“A year later, we have it built,” said Mike Wendland, who worked with Hefty on the Grant Park and Phillips Crossing developments.

“All of the dirt work has been done. All the water and sewer is in. The storm sewers are in. The curb and gutter is in, all the asphalt roads are in, and Xcel and MidAmerican are wrapping up installation, including streetlights, and Alliance Communications is starting their installation.”

The “go live” date for the developments is Oct. 4, when homebuilders can start digging basements.

“We had great partners along the way to make it happen this fast,” Wendland said. “From our engineers to construction, everybody involved has been nothing but spectacular. It’s about the partnership. They share the same vision for Baltic.”

Sioux Metro Growth Alliance is another partner helping Baltic hone and achieve its community vision.

“We helped them create and implement a community engagement process to discern the needs of the community,” president and CEO Jesse Fonkert said.

“That included conducting a survey of the top 20 business needs of the town and taking that data and now helping them implement it. The process concluded with the creation of an economic development organization that will serve Baltic, so we’ve enjoyed being instrumental in that process and helping engage the public around the importance of an economic development strategy.”

Feedback from the public encouraged business development for the following top uses:

• Grocery store
• Family pub and grill
• Coffee house
• Ice cream shop
• Gym and training center
• Family clinic
• Dentist
• Pizza shop

“We had good participation,” Fonkert said. “Baltic is an interesting community. It’s a young community of about 1,400 people that’s learning about economic development.”

The next step will be dedicating an individual to implementing some of Baltic’s strategy, with support from a new five-person volunteer economic development board.

That person will be Ryan Solberg, an economic development specialist with Sioux Metro Growth Alliance. 

Baltic is contracting 20 hours per week with Solberg, who will help launch the community’s economic development organization at least through the end of the year. Solberg performs a similar service for the community of Lennox.

“This is an alternative for communities that want more economic development but want an efficient way to make that investment,” Fonkert said. “Rather than hiring their own staff, they can leverage Ryan’s expertise and his experience working with multiple communities, which has introduced him to multiple approaches to recommend to others.”

A recent study found a need in Baltic both for more multifamily as well as single-family housing, he added.

“That’s in addition to a possible mixed-use commercial building, which there seems to be interest in creating,” he said.

Meanwhile, the newly developed residential lots of Grant Park and Phillips Crossing are beginning to generate more interest – especially now that there are paved roads leading to them, Wendland said.

“We’re literally right next door to the school, and with the sidewalk and a bike path we’re putting in, you’ll be able to walk to school,” he said. “And people are continually commenting on the spectacular views. We have a lot of rolling terrain, and that’s the most prominent thing I hear.”

Plus, lots range from $38,000 to $103,000, and the average is about $52,000, making them accessible to many budgets.

“We have several buyers who are Hefty employees, a couple who are Baltic residents looking for a newer, larger home and others from Sioux Falls who see the value they receive here and how close we are to the city,” Wendland said. “Baltic is 10 minutes from Sioux Falls’ Foundation Park. It’s 15 minutes to the Sanford Sports Complex.”

Through the end of September, homebuilders purchasing at least three lots will receive a 5 percent discount, he added.

The overall approach is a model for other communities, Fonkert added.

“We’re pushing it. We’re telling communities you need to find your Brian Hefty and encourage him or her to get to work,” he said. “This is a philanthropic community guy and a smart businessperson, and he completes all of that through this development. It’s amazing the impact it’s had to the community, and I think people are watching Baltic across the region.”

When a community needed housing, this business owner stepped up