Cooperstown has completed the necessary paperwork for Renaissance Zone blocks to provide tax incentives within the community. They have also compled a community housing assessment of current housing stock. These critical assessments and programs are important steps as the community works to create a thriving place for all.
The city of Cooperstown in partnership with the Eastern Dakota Housing Alliance plans to build a single family home to be sold to an income-qualified family. The lots for the home will be built on donated land and a local builder has agree to be the contractor to ensure the home is built at a reasonable cost for an income-qualified family to purchase. The family will be required to go through a homebuyers training and have a qualifying credit score but this will be an opportunity to own their own home. The Eastern Dakota Housing Alliance will be the developer for the project and has HOME federal dollars providing funding.
The community of Cooperstown has raised almost $100,000 for their local community endowment fund and has already given back a portion of that money to local non-profits. The first grant round provided funds to a number of non-profit organizations in the community that work to make Cooperstown a better place to live and work. Congratulations to Cooperstown on this first grant round!
The North Dakota State Historical Society will officially receive the key for the Oscar 0 missile site, located four miles north of Cooperstown, from the Air Force on April 8th at a ceremony to be held at the Griggs County Central School. The local Griggs County Historical Society, the Friends of Oscar 0 and the ND State Historical Society have been working to develop this site into an interpretive site and museum to recognize the heritage of the Cold War era. These groups are developing a long range plan that will include preparing the site for public tours, raising money to help with this effort and having special events to celebrate this site. The site is scheduled to open the summer of 2009 to the general public. This site is anticipated to become a tourist destination for people from all over the United States, as there were many missileers who served in this and other similar sites in the Midwest. For more information call 701-797-3712.
Cooperstown will be the staging area for the Keystone Pipeline construction crew beginning in May of 2008 through the summer and into early fall. This oil pipeline will be constructed east of Cooperstown, with an anticipated daily average of 350 to 400 pipeline workers working in the area. The community is preparing for an influx of these workers by developing some new travel trailer parking areas, identifying housing for them, working to support entrepreneurs who are willing to provide food for them, and trying to locate people willing to help with their laundry. The community is excited about the opportunity, and is anticipating a good economic impact for the local businesses, as well as the opportunity to get to know some people that are of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. We hope to make them feel welcome enough for them to consider visiting our community, region and state when they might have some time off and bring their families.
Cooperstown is now well on its way to sustainability and opportunity for future funding for local nonprofits. The community raised $15,000 in donations, including $1500 from the Horizons program, with an additional $20,000 match from the Griggs-Steele Empowerment Zone and a $15,000 match from the North Dakota Community Foundation for a total of $50,000 as a beginning amount for the foundation. The community foundation board members will begin their fund raising efforts again in early 2008, as the Empowerment Zone and the ND Community Foundation have agreed to provide matching funds this year. The goal will be to raise another $15,000 from the community donations so they can utilize the match funds and plan to have a total amount of $100,000 by the end of 2008 for the community. For more information, please contact the Cooperstown Community Development Authority at 701-797-3712 or email at cooperedc@invisimax.com.