Key Achievements & Community Impact

Strong communities don’t happen by chance—they are built through intentional investment, planning, and leadership. GCDC continues to deliver results that expand our tax base, support local employers, create housing, increase childcare capacity, and position our communities for long-term success. The key achievements below showcase the economic and community impact of our work across Grant County.

🚧 Industrial Development

Industrial Park Growth & Private Investment

GCDC has led major infrastructure and land-readiness efforts to expand Milbank’s industrial capacity and attract investment.

  • Infrastructure Expansion: Secured a $2.5 million EDA grant—leveraged with local and state match—to bring roads and utilities to 12 new industrial lots.

  • Private Investment Committed: $8+ million from new businesses such as Cliff Viessman Inc and Martin’s Milk Warehousing.

  • Land Value & Tax Base Growth: Remaining industrial park land valued at approx. $3/sq ft, driving tax base expansion as lots sell.

    • Buildable acreage remaining: 23.5 acres

    • Estimated taxable valuation upon build-out: $42.5M–$60.7M

🏘️ Adaptive Reuse: Converting Non-Taxable to Tax-Generating Assets

GCDC has supported key redevelopment projects to turn declining or tax-exempt properties into active, revenue-producing community assets.

Rosewood Apartments (Former Hospital)

  • Prevented long-term vacancy and delivered much-needed housing supply.

  • Investment: $4.5 million

  • Units: 12 one-bedroom, 24 two-bedroom, 12 garage units

  • Supported by TIF to make the project feasible; full taxable benefit returns to jurisdictions after TIF period.

Peaceful Pines Senior Living (Former Elementary School)

  • Converted a non-taxable, aging public facility into a modern senior living community.

  • Units/Rooms: 60

  • Estimated Valuation: $11 million

  • Becomes fully taxable after TIF repayment, benefiting all taxing entities long-term.

🧑‍🏭 Supporting Major Employers

GCDC assists primary job creators with retention, expansion, infrastructure, and workforce support to ensure continued growth in Grant County. We work closely with employers like Valley Queen and others to understand their needs, reduce barriers to growth, and help them plan for the future.

Through our Capital Campaign, GCDC is strengthening employer support by investing in strategies that improve workforce attraction and retention, including talent recruitment initiatives, workforce housing, childcare support, and quality-of-life enhancements that help employers hire—and keep—the talent they need.

💰 Direct Business Support

GCDC provides strategic financial support to reduce project risk, unlock private investment, and accelerate development that benefits the community. Through a combination of loans, gap-financing tools, and forgivable notes, we help make transformational projects possible—especially those that expand housing, healthcare services, business incubation, restaurants, and other new business ventures across Milbank and Grant County.

To date, GCDC has deployed over $3 million dollars in direct financial support to advance community and economic development initiatives. These investments help strengthen our local economy, diversify our business base, and enhance the quality of life for residents and workforce alike.

👶 Childcare & Early Learning Development

GCDC plays a leadership role in addressing childcare and early learning capacity to support workforce and family needs.

  • Secured a $50,000 GOED Grant for a countywide childcare assessment.

  • 2024 study and focus groups identified facility, staffing, and service gaps.

  • Supported expansion of Backyard Bulldogs (BYB) to increase capacity and add preschool programming for the 2025–2026 school year.

  • GCDC serves as a backbone partner—providing technical assistance, convening support, and alignment with workforce and housing goals.

📌 Core Programs & Services

  • Business Support: Succession planning, retention visits, entrepreneurship support, attraction, and financing tools (loans, forgivable notes, TIF prep).

  • Housing Strategy: Developer outreach, RFPs, gap financing, and infrastructure support.

  • Workforce & Industry Research: Utility/site readiness studies, data and community profiles, site selector tools.

  • Community Convening: Collaboration with education, city/county leadership, healthcare, and recreation partners.