Willow Lake Announces New Housing Development
and Cash Incentive for New Homes
Willow Lake, SD (March 31, 2019) – The need for more or better housing often comes up on the wish
list for rural communities, and leaders in Willow Lake are setting plans in motion to make this a reality.
The City of Willow Lake is announcing a new housing development, called “The Logan Addition,” which will
extend Logan Street on an angle, north and west, connecting it to Jackson Street. This will create a new,
quiet neighborhood with large lots suitable for new single-family homes or duplexes. The city will offer a
lot in the development at no cost for anyone who will build or bring in new housing.
In conjunction, Willow Lake Area Advancement is announcing a cash incentive of $7,500 for anyone who
will build a new home in Willow Lake. The incentive is per-family-unit, so a new duplex, for example,
would qualify for $15,000.
“This is very exciting for us,” said Del Bratland, Willow Lake’s mayor. “We have had some new houses built
in Willow Lake in recent years, but it’s been a long time since a new area has been developed. We hope
this is just the start.”
Bratland says the new neighborhood’s layout is not yet set in stone, and the city would like to get input
from the first builder(s) as to any preferences on its final design.
“Willow Lake is a great community, and we’re pleased to be working with the city to kickstart some new
housing development,” said Jared Knock, president of Willow Lake Area Advancement, the economic
development and community improvement non-profit started in 2005. “We feel like this cash incentive is
sizeable enough to be of real value to get projects to completion.”
The cash incentive is available to new homes that are built on-site or moved in to Willow Lake, whether in
the new Logan Addition neighborhood or anywhere else within city limits.
The City of Willow Lake purchased the land last year with an eye toward development. The area just north
of the school bus garage is the highest and most suitable for housing. The property just south of the
highway, across from the livestock barn, is planned for future commercial development.
“Another important part of this project is how to enhance the waterway, what we locally call the ‘Dexter,’
that borders this area,” said Kristin Vandersnick, who also serves on the Advancement group board of
directors. “We’re envisioning that this could be a park-like area with walking or bike paths and lots of new
trees – especially willows, which would be perfect for the lay of the land, and as our town’s namesake.”
The Advancement group is pursuing grants and other funding sources for the beautification and outdoor
recreation portion of the project.
Another scheduled upgrade for the community is its switch from a local water source to service provided
by Clark Rural Water. Willow Lake residents will enjoy the town’s new water service soon, with hook-up
slated for the near future.
“Between the new housing development, the cash incentive, and the quality of our school and
community, there are lots of good reasons to consider building in Willow Lake,” Bratland added. “For our
size, we’ve got a lot of good things going for us.”
Click on the image to view a larger version of the neighborhood drawing
Additional documents:
For more information:
CITY OF WILLOW LAKE
Heidi Madsen, Finance Officer
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(605) 625-3631
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office hours, main street, M-Th
Del Bratland, Mayor
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(605) 881-7841
WILLOW LAKE AREA ADVANCEMENT
Jared Knock, President
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(605) 881-2375
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Kristin Vandersnick, Vice President
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(605) 625-2534
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