City of Alexander upgrading for the future
By Ashleigh Plemper
Farmer Staff Writer
After being founded in 1905, the city of Alexander remains a small and quiet town in McKenzie County. While the community seeks to preserve its small town feel, the city has recently begun planning for bigger, better things in an effort to revitalize the town.
Recent and upcoming enhancements include a revitalized fountain, talk of a residential development and four blocks of paved roadway/sidewalks.
But like many surrounding towns and cities in McKenzie County, a lack of housing remains a leading issue for the city of Alexander.
“We haven’t grown a lot because we haven’t had a lot of property to offer people,” says Kenneth Willcox, mayor of Alexander.
More recently, the city purchased property on the south end of town where an RV Park once was as they now have plans to make way for a residential subdivision.
“There will be two to three sections of housing. It’s going to be a pretty extensive project,” says Willcox.
While the town has grown slightly, Willcox says it’s still not enough to be considered an actual town by some sources.
“The census considers us a turnout by Patriot Fuels, but they aren’t in our city limits,” laughs Willcox.
While new establishments have made their way to the city of Alexander, Willcox says the additional businesses haven’t been enough to accommodate real growth.