Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson Construction Company will build a new district high school and adjoining municipal event and recreation center in Watford City, N.D., in the fastest-growing county in the nation.
The approximate combined construction cost of the two projects is in excess of $100 million.
Watford City’s population is soaring with the energy boom from the Bakken oil fields in western North Dakota. From March 2013 to February 2014, the McKenzie County School District has grown from 200 to 1,060 K-12 students — doubling the size of the district since 2010. A 2013 census lists the county’s population at 9,314, a 46.5 percent increase since 2010, not including temporary workers.
Both the high school and event center are designed by JLG Architects. Located on Highway 23 east of Watford City, site work is scheduled to begin in July 2014 and construction is expected to be completed in early 2016.
