For decades, "downtown" was the hub of the economic and social lives of rural residents across North Dakota. Since their heyday in the 50s, small town business districts have been shrinking. Many small communities in North Dakota are on the cusp of extinction. As the rural population declines and the state's agriculture-based economy struggles, boarded buildings and empty storefronts now dominate once prosperous streets.

Seeking to reverse years of decline, some local organizations are taking steps to revitalize their communities. Across the state community groups and entrepreneurs with vision are rehabilitating old buildings and putting them to new uses -- renewing their sense of identity in the process.

An empty hardware store becomes a high tech incubator
A church is converted into a library
A former jail becomes a restaurant
An abandoned school house turns into a family
Transformations are occurring across the State of North Dakota with a former school building becoming a bed and breakfast, and a long dormant opera house filled with performers and audiences once more. Each effort is helping small towns preserve their identity and quality of life, while strengthening the local economy.

Merlan Paaverud; Historical Society of North Dakota
Lisbon, North Dakota
Lisbon Opera House
Dick Larson; Lisbon Opera House Foundation
Darline Levang; No Name Players
Bowman, North Dakota
Kayla Abrahamson-Hansey; Bowman County Development Corporation
Colleen Kelly; Pioneer Regional Museum
Dorothy Pearson; Pioneer Regional Museum
Badlands, North Dakota
Watford City
Incentive Tax Programs
Renaissance Zones
Gene Veeder; McKenzie Co. Job Development Authority
McKenzie County Heritage Park
Gretchen Stenehjem; First International Bank
6 Shooters Showhall & Cafe; Watford City
Outlaws Bar & Grill; Watford City
Theodore Roosevelt National Park; North Unit
Arnegard, North Dakota
Milt Hanson; Old School Bed & Breakfast
Vicky Wentworth
Anne M. McCrory
Crosby, North Dakota
Esther M. Oehlke; SCO Precision Inc.
Shawn Oehlke; SCO Precision Inc.
Senator Kent Conrad
Senator Byron Dorgan
San Haven Dunseith, North Dakota
Bill Patrie; Former Director ND EDC/Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Peg O'Leary; Grand Forks Historic Preservation Commision
Lonnie Laffen; JLG Architects
National Register of Historical Places
Department of the Interior
Hillsboro, North Dakota
Don Foss; Dakota Heritage Bank of North Dakota
Bruce Person; Hillsboro Community Partnership
Union Block; Hillsboro, North Dakota
Jamestown, North Dakota
Barbra Lang; Jamestown Historian/CSi Cable Services
Charlie Kourajian; Jamestown Main Street Downtown Association
Michael Marcil; The Marcil Group, Inc.
Brass Rail; Jamestown, North Dakota
CSi Technology Center
Franklin School Building
Roy Sheppard; CSi Cable Services
Chris Sheppard; CSi Cable Services
Louis L'Amour

Credits
Producer; Hope Deutscher
Editors; Travis Jensen, Heidi Erickson
Videographers; Dave Geck, Travis Jensen, Kak Lee, Lee Westad
Graphics; Heidi Erickson, Alayne Berg-Iwen
Promotions; Marie Lucero, Les Skoropat
Captions; Armour Closed Captioning
Narrator; Richard E. Collin
Production Manager; Barbra Gravel
Executive Producers; Bob Dambach, Kim Stenehjem

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