GRAFTON, N.D. — July 26, 2025 — Plans to establish a transformative business incubator in downtown Grafton have reached a major milestone. The Red River Regional Council (RRRC) has officially selected MBA Development Group, based in Fargo, as the construction manager at risk for the Hill Avenue Business Incubator and Co-Lab Space.

"We are thrilled to partner with MBA Development and their team of experts in historic renovations to make the vision for the incubator and co-lab space to come to life," said Dawn Mandt, Executive Director of the RRRC.

Supporting Local Entrepreneurs

The incubator will breathe new life into a vacant 10,000-square-foot building in Grafton’s historic downtown — the former Reylecks Department Store, originally built in 1916. The plan includes a shared licensed commercial kitchen and collaborative spaces designed to nurture food entrepreneurs, local caterers, and small business startups.

The RRRC’s research showed a growing demand for licensed food production facilities. Many cottage food producers and caterers in the region lack access to the kind of shared, certified space needed to scale or test new products.

This project aims to fill that gap — enabling culinary entrepreneurs to test-market new foods, explore the feasibility of opening restaurants, teach cooking classes, and support local food innovation.

Historic Restoration Meets Modern Needs

"MBA is excited to work with the Red River Regional Council and their design team led by ICON Architectural Group to repurpose the former Reylecks Department Store building, which was built in 1916," said Kevin Bartram, President of MBA Development Group. "Our firm has extensive experience renovating historic buildings in the region. ... We appreciate the opportunity to work on this one-of-a-kind project in downtown Grafton."

Funding and Timeline

The Hill Avenue Business Incubator project launched in 2022 with a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration and a local funding match — bringing the total project budget to about $2.2 million.

While the project faced delays finding a builder, the RRRC pivoted in late 2024 to a construction manager at risk model, ensuring the construction team could lend its expertise early in the design phase.

"It's exciting to have enthusiastic partners ready to roll up the sleeves and get to work to transform the old Reylecks building into a community hub to inspire future food entrepreneurs and business start-ups to enhance both the community of Grafton and the entire region in northeast North Dakota," Mandt said.

Preparatory work is expected to begin by late summer 2025, with renovations lasting up to 12 months.‍

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A Community Catalyst

Once complete, the Hill Avenue Business Incubator and Co-Lab will not only restore a historic downtown landmark but also foster economic growth and innovation in Walsh County and beyond — strengthening northeast North Dakota’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and food economy.

The RRRC, MBA Development Group, and ICON Architectural Group see the project as a blueprint for how rural communities can creatively reuse historic spaces to empower local businesses, spark job creation, and revitalize Main Street.

Originally reported by Delaney Otto, Grand Forks Herald in Yahoo News.