MINOT, ND (KXNET) — The City of Minot hopes to build up the community this spring as it starts educational courses centered around developing many of the city's empty lots with no infrastructure. While many of these lots are currently for sale, many remain vacant due to only two local developers in the area. With the lack of new developments, city officials are looking to take action in what will hopefully lead to the beginning of a new wave of building projects that will help the local economy. The City of Minot's Community and Economic Development Director, Brain Billingsley, says the city wants to establish new developers regardless of project size. "The city is looking for potential land developers to develop potential lots to make them shovel-ready for new construction, whether they're commercial or residential developments," said Billingsley. Billingsley says that one of the most important things is getting the lots' infrastructure ready, which includes paving streets and installing water lines. Minot Area Diaper Pantry looking to expand During the oil boom era, the city relied the most on out-of-state developers. "During the oil boom era, we relied on many out-of-state developers to do that work for us so what we're hoping to do is get a stable crew of people that will do that for us," said Billingsley. Billingsley says the training folks will receive will be comprehensive and educational. "We're going to purchase books, we're going to purchase instructional manuals, we're going to bring in guest speakers, and we're going to listen there going to be very interactive meetings we're going to allow our students to ask questions," Billingsley said. Billingsley also says that training will be important to Minot's overall growth, as it hopes to attract a new generation of developers. "The city's willing to take on that training to help raise that next generation of developers for Minot," said Billingsley. While no official date for the training has been set, it is planned to kick off in March or April. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Today's Top Stories SIGN UP NOW