After duress of prison's closing, Appleton, Minnesota, sets its sights on revitalization effort

Tom Cherveny, West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minn.
·4 min read

Oct. 20—APPLETON

— A decade ago, Appleton tipped into a spiral of economic duress, signaled by a sound no louder than the whir and clang of an electronic gate in February 2010.

It was the sound of the

last inmate leaving the Prairie Correctional Facility.

The

private prison's 1,640 beds remain vacant

still today. The facility employed 365 workers at the peak of operations, 86 of whom lived within city limits.

The economic woes for this community of just over 1,300 people continued when in 2018,

Pioneer Public Television

moved the majority of its operations and employees to a new facility in Granite Falls, vacating the historic City Hall and Opera House building the public broadcasting system once occupied.

Today, community leaders point to the historic building as just one of the examples of the community's starting points for revitalization.

The

City Hall and Opera House

is the most iconic of them. Originally built in 1895, the town's landmark building has been on the

National Register of Historic Places since 1977.

Community members have been very supportive of a citizens-led effort to preserve and restore the building, according to Kerry Kolke Bonk, part of

Preserve Appleton's Heritage

, the non-profit citizens group working on its revitalization.

In its first year of efforts, the group has raised more than $300,000 in contributions and grants. Along with other work, the funds have made it possible to install a heating and cooling system for the upstairs opera house, which features a stage and spacious area that once held 600 seats.

The building is again becoming a focal point for activities. The

Valley Dance District

hosts more than 50 families in its dance studios located in the building.

An agreement was signed for a coffee shop to open on the first floor this autumn.

A citizens group known as

Appleton Arts and Culture

hosts art and culture classes in the 1983 portion of the building. The first floor holds displays of memorabilia and other artifacts from the Appleton School and the community's history.

Thanks to the community support, Preserve Appleton's Heritage is on a faster-than-expected track to acquire ownership of the building from Pioneer TV, according to Kolke Bonk.

Another reason for the community's emerging optimism can be found on the other end of Main Street.

Northern Geo

was the focus of a "revitalization" tour hosted July 25 by the

Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission

.

There, Del Overholser led the way through a modern manufacturing facility that produces a wide variety of energy-efficient products, from geo-thermal heating and cooling units to specialized products for a wide range of industries. Northern Geo produces everything from energy-saving systems to warm pools at American resorts to a unit that chills water to the specific temperature required for dishes served at a plush restaurant in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

"It starts here at the lab," said Del Overholser, as he showed his guests how the company creates products for a variety of customers. Overholser and his brother, Jim, originally founded Econar in Appleton to produce geo-thermal units. They sold Econar in 2008, but its new owners eventually sold it to a company that moved its jobs elsewhere.

Overholser came out of retirement and started anew in 2014 by creating Northern Geo. He has yet to take a paycheck, but said the company is slowly but surely carving its niche. The plant now employs 20 workers and has room for growth.

His goal is to bring back jobs to the community. "Appleton was good to me when I started Econar," he explained. Revolving loan monies from the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission were critical in the rebirth, he added.

Northern Geo isn't the only story with forward momentum.

A former county park once subject to flooding is now a regional Off-Highway Vehicle Park.

Swift County

is eyeing eyeing roughly 200 adjoining acres for an expansion of the 331-acre Appleton OHV Park, according to Gary Hendrikcx, a member of the

Swift County board of commissioners

.

Hendrikcx joined Kody Fossom, Swift County Parks and Drainage supervisor, and Colin Wright, regional parks and trails supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, in outlining plans for the park's further development. A $1 million federal grant will allow for the addition of modern bathrooms, cleaning stations and other amenities for park users.

While the park remains focused on OHV recreation, Hendrickx said the improvements are also aimed at allowing more community use of the park. Plans include dredging an area of the small lake in the park to develop a beach and once again make the park the community's popular swimming hole.

Fossum said a survey of park users revealed that OHV visitors to the park arrive from locations all around the state and well beyond its borders. Hendrickx said the goal now is for the community to do a better job of realizing the economic benefits that the visitors represent for the community.