DOWNTOWN ABERDEEN REVITALIZATION TEAM

DART: Improving “The Street” One Building at a Time

The Downtown Aberdeen Revitalization Team looks to boost Aberdeen businesses and consumer activity by buying, renovating, and selling buildings in Downtown Aberdeen.

by PATRICK GALLAGHER

t all started with an eyesore. About six years ago, Co-Op Architecture principal architect Tom Hurlbert visited with Rod Fouberg, retired Dacotah Bank chair, about a rundown building on Main Street that they wished they could renovate. That opportunity did not materialize, but it led to a much larger discussion about what could be done to create, as Rod put it, “a better looking street.”

Before long, Tom and Rod brought in Siegel, Barnett & Schutz attorney Rod Tobin to create the Downtown Aberdeen Revitalization Team (DART) with a mission to upgrade Main Street buildings to make it easier for businesses to start up and grow. It was a new approach. As Rod Fouberg pointed out, “A lot of activity downtown had come from either the City or nonprofits,” or from businesses doing their own upgrades. DART would be a for-profit group organized, essentially, to flip buildings. The process would involve buying, renovating, and selling buildings to owner—occupied businesses–no absentee owners—that would drive more foot traffic downtown. Three buildings later, the partners see their impact, and so do others.

“The question is how do we clean these buildings up as a community, and how do we make Main Street more viable for the long-term benefit of Aberdeen, building property values and such?” Tom said. “We can see the potential of downtown as a generator for property tax, sales tax, tourism, retail activity, the arts, and more housing, but attacking it alone isn’t viable, both financially and in terms of horsepower.” So the team went in search of people with similar views and money to invest. “That was kind of the pitch,” Tom added. “Not to make a bunch of money but to make community. This isn’t the

 Tom and Abby Cogley bought a DART building at 420 S. Main in 2020 for their respective businesses; Cogley Law Office and Mattress by Appointment.  The 1912 A. Olander building at 207 S. Main features glazed bricks and ceramic tiles in the facade. It was purchased by Carly and Cory Pochop and became the home of Carly’s business, Colorful Creations.

“Downtown development requires a lot of cooperation from many partners, including the City, business owners, and developers. We’re not the ocean; we’re a wave.”

–TOM HURLBERT

silver bullet for downtown. It’s just another piece of the puzzle.”

In looking for those investors, Tom mentioned Rod Fouberg’s advantage as a 45-year member of the core area community of business owners, managers and employees. Rod said he “approached people in the core area who had an interest in Downtown. We raised $220,000 from 19 investors [who] came from up and down the street,” or had a strong tie to the core area.

“DART made clear to the investors from the onset that this was an endeavor that most likely would yield no return on their investment and, in fact, it was possible that the initial investment would be lost as well. DART was always portrayed as a community/ downtown support effort, an effort to preserve Aberdeen’s downtown historic aesthetic,” Rod Tobin said. So what did the investors get out of it? “Revitalizing downtown buildings and facades was the proposed compensation for the investment,” he explained. Virtue is its own reward, the Stoics said, and this probably took some stoic gumption. Rod Fouberg added that occasionally the investors also got to “pay a little income tax on some profit.”

It must have worked. More than five years later, DART retains the same 19 investors who first signed on in the early endeavor. They are silent investors, as Tom, Rod Tobin, and Rod Fouberg are the managing members of the limited liability corporation, and they make the purchase, remodel, and sale decisions.

While those three are the key players, Tom noted, “Heath is super helpful with his real estate background—sort of a de facto member of board.” A principal in Dakota Plains Commercial Real Estate, Heath Johnson maintains that he is an investor in DART with no input on decisions. “I help them acquire or move buildings,” Heath said. “I’ve been involved in all four buildings by helping acquire the property, by selling it, or both.”

The fourth building Heath mentioned is 313 South Main Street, most recently a consignment shop, which DART purchased in late 2020. Renovations will begin in 2021. Rod Tobin said, “313 is a great DART project. While it does not possess the most ornate of facades, it is one that fits downtown well.” He mentioned one of the benefits the project can bring to buyers. “The other aspect that makes 313 a good DART candidate is that it has second floor residences. Our goal is for DART buildings to end up in the hands of owners whose businesses will occupy the store front. Second floor apartments help small businesses by providing a steady cash flow

to smooth the peaks and valleys of their own business.” While having apartments is a plus, residential isn’t a specific goal for DART, and those improvements are up to the buyer. Only two of the buildings they have purchased so far have had apartments.

Just what is a DART project?

Generally, they look for smaller footprint buildings, and more specifically, “the low hanging fruit.” Simply, as Rod Fouberg put it, the building has to be “available and affordable,” and the plan is to do one building at a time. The basic DART project has included repairing the roof and improving the face of the building. Tom explained, “By doing the roof, we save the buildings from water damage. Doing the facade helps tell the story and inspire somebody” to buy, launch a business, and help grow downtown. Another goal, he says, is “to honor the historic design of the buildings. We work from historic photos of the buildings and try to replicate [them]. There’s value to our historic downtown.” Plus, the architect working with an attorney and a banker said, “It’s also easy to agree on historic value and look compared to design, which is a taste thing.”

The three completed projects to date have been The Workshop at 208 South Main Street, purchased first by the Aberdeen Development Corporation and sold later to the Aberdeen Downtown Association, both of whom have operated it as a shared workspace meant to assist small businesses. The second project is directly across the street at 207 South Main Street, purchased by Carly and Cory Pochop, whose Colorful Creations occupies the main floor with three apartments on the second floor. The most recently completed project is at 416 and 418 South Main Street, purchased by Tom and Abby Cogley and home to their businesses, Cogley Law Office and Mattress by Appointment. This project was complicated by the discovery that the front of the building was actually leaning toward the street. Repairing it cost more, but the result is still an authentic historic renovation. Abby noted that the facade is “one of the main reasons we were drawn to buying the building,” and they receive many compliments on it. But it still took the Cogleys a couple of looks to say yes. They had become serious about looking for space when Abby’s shop in Super City Mall flooded in a water main break in 2017. They wanted to find a place that could house both businesses. Tom Cogley, the  The Aberdeen Downtown Association attorney who had been working recently sold their DART building at 208 S. downtown since they moved to

Main. They used if for their offices and a shared workspace for small businesses. Aberdeen in 2010, enjoyed being in that area and liked being able to walk to the courthouse. Abby wasn’t sure a mattress store would fit the “boutique vibe” of Main Street—for example, boutiques don’t usually need to take deliveries from semis. In fact, in 2018, they looked at both the building they ultimately bought and what became Colorful Creations. They passed on the latter because Abby knew she did not want to manage the apartments, plus, they weren’t sure both of their businesses would fit. About a year later in 2019, they took the plunge. It helped that Tom Hurlbert sketched out the space. And it’s worked out well. “I love it in here,” Abby said. “My sales have gone up.” Also, although she had worried that the law office wouldn’t be big enough, “Tom’s [Cogley] offices are right-sized, not over-sized, not like a 1960s-style lawyer’s office that looks like a den.” She added that working with DART was very easy. “We knew our boundaries and knew we could walk away,” she said. “There was good transparency in the working relationship. They knew we wanted it, and we knew they wanted to move it and get it occupied. DART liked our business. We would be owner-occupied and bring people downtown.” All in all, she concluded, “Working with DART was fantastic.”

Is the DART model working?

From Rod Fouberg’s perspective, it’s simple: “I feel good when I walk or drive by the buildings.” Similarly, Tom Hurlbert believes “We’ve made a difference,” but he added, “You don’t know if you’ve inspired people to think more about downtown.” Looking at the big picture, he noted, “Downtown development requires a lot of cooperation from many partners, including the City, business owners, and developers. We’re not the ocean; we’re a wave. I do think there’s good momentum downtown.” He came back to their unique and community-minded approach, “Nobody else is doing what we’re doing because DART is not in the money-making business. We’re not here to lose money, but we’re not big into money making.”

Money-making or not, Heath Johnson agreed DART is the only group flipping buildings on Main Street, and he believes they’re “very successful in doing what they set out to do. It’s a successful model, and it’s helping property values downtown.” Heath suggested another benefit: “A lot of buildings downtown are 60 to 100 years old, and we’re essentially buying another 60-100 years in these buildings.”

Aberdeen Downtown Association executive director Shelley Westra-Heier said the impact of DART’s work is “much more than people can visually see. They’re breaking down barriers for people who want to own a business but can’t afford to fix the façade, the roof, and so on. They’re making it easier for a business that wants to start up or expand. That’s critical for downtown.” More broadly, she added, “There’s a positive impact on property values that isn’t visible but is beneficial for downtown and the whole city. There’s the impact of the increased business and the virtuous cycle it creates.”

They may not have been eyesores, but the buildings that DART has improved have had a lasting effect on Aberdeen. Summing up her estimation of the group’s impact, Shelley says, “Can we have more than one DART organization in town? Please?” //

Storybook Land Theatre has brought decades of family-fun entertainment to Aberdeen. by JOSIE CLEMENS

Photos courtesy of WILDFIRE STUDIOS

he Storybook Land Theatre (SBLT) takes its audience to a magical place full of positivity, laughter, and imagination. The cast members share an abundance of energy through each performance, and the scripts are full of life and creativity. A combination like this is hard to find anywhere else and brings a one-of-akind series of shows to the people of Aberdeen. The best part? Well, there isn’t just one, but the plays are designed to entertain everyone, not just children. Whether you have children of your own or are in need of some light-hearted, comedic entertainment, this summer theater has something in its playbook for you. And while the audience can see the cast during the summer plays, there’s much more to this familyfriendly theater than what is seen on stage.

Opening Act

This story begins back in 1987 with the creation of the Storybook Land Castle.

David Eckert, the Aberdeen Recreation & Cultural Center (ARCC) supervisor, led the development of the program under the city’s Parks and Recreation department as he searched for ways to draw people to Storybook Land and, more specifically, the Castle. After carefully considering all the options, David realized he wanted to provide an entertainment and arts event at the Castle in the hopes of bringing more people to the newly created park. David felt inspired by the idea of an outdoor children’s theater and hired Tom Roberts, who grew up in Ipswich, SD, and attended college at NSU, as the director.

 1999 cast: Director Rhonda Haglund (green), Steve Gors (red), Molly Wilson (blue), Josh Trumbo (orange), and Katie King (yellow). Courtesy Storybook Land Theatre.  1997 cast: Director Bea Ulrich (green), Katie King (yellow), Molly Wilson (blue), Chris Ruud (red), Meg Bailey (purple), and Brian Schultz (orange). Courtesy Storybook Land Theatre.

The grand opening of SBLT took place in

June of 1989. Tom and four actors--a mixture of high school and college students--performed a different play every week, three times a week. This carried on for four weeks, and the response was beyond successful. Over 3,500 people attended the 12 performances. The success of the program led to its inevitable expansion, which has caused a slight shift in the program’s goals. The primary purpose will always be to bring crowds to Storybook Land, but the priority is not as high due to the park’s growing popularity. David mentioned the Theatre is strong enough now that it draws in visitors from outside the community, which is good for the economy and improves the overall quality of life in Aberdeen. Another priority of the city for SBLT is to look for development and growth opportunities for the program. The idea of providing fun and quality entertainment to Aberdeen that brings the community together will always be at the core of the Theatre’s decisions. David’s favorite part about the theater is “seeing how much the audience appreciates the show.” He continued, “I can see it in their faces, in their laughter.” His pride in SBLT resonated Meet the Cast!

BRIAN T. SCHULTZ

Artistic Director/Actor

Age: 44 SBLT Color: Orange Instrument: Guitar

Interests/Hobbies:

Playing guitar, grilling, and cooking as he described witnessing the happiness it has brought to so many people in the Aberdeen area. Aberdeen’s support of SBLT has been nothing but positive since the opening performance in 1989. “From day one, what’s amazing to me is that the response, enthusiasm, and acceptance has never diminished,” David said.

Behind the Scenes

In 2000, Storybook Land Theatre hired a new director, Brian Schultz, who has remained the Artistic Director of SBLT for 21 years.

“To be able to continue doing this after all this time is truly a blessing. Going in, I had never really given much thought to how long my tenure might be, but to just enjoy it as long as it lasts,” Brian said. “I’m so pleased that now, all these years later, it’s even better now than when I started.”

Brian is also the Associate Artistic Managing Director for the Aberdeen Community Theatre (ACT) coinciding with his responsibilities at SBLT. While Aberdeen Parks and Recreation still oversees the development and programming of SBLT, the city has a contractual agreement with ACT in which ACT provides directorial services for SBLT. In other words, Brian was able to continue as the director for SBLT even after he

CLAIRE VETTER

Actor Age: 21 SBLT Color: Red Instrument: Ukulele

Interests/Hobbies:

Baking, singing/dancing, and hanging out with cool people started working for the community theater.

“Folks don’t often get careers in which they are given the freedom to do everything they want to do, the way they want to do it. But I’ve been lucky enough to have that,” Brian said.

David described Brian as someone who is always full of energy, enthusiasm, and excitement, and he did not want to lose that spirit and charisma.

Brian’s journey in the Aberdeen arts began with the Storybook Land Theatre. In 1994, he moved to Aberdeen to attend NSU, and he first experienced the Castle when a friend gave him a tour of Aberdeen. It wasn’t until a couple years later that Brian was introduced to SBLT and began acting with the program.

“I kind of lucked into it, and it still remains one of my favorite things that I have ever done and still get to do,” Brian said.

Brian’s work at ACT includes planning mainstage events and programming details alongside developing education programs for both youth and adults in the community. Youth theater has been his primary wheelhouse since

JACKSON ROTT

Actor Age: 16 SBLT Color: Yellow Instrument: Guitar and bucket drums

Interests/Hobbies:

Theater, history, music, and riding bike

 Former cast members (bottom to top) Jani

Gisi, Justine Haaland, Adrienne Weigel,

Kevin Kelly, Elias Rostad, and director Brian

Schultz. Courtesy Storybook Land Theatre.  Discover Storybook Land Theatre production of “Tied to the Tracks” in June 2002. Courtesy Storybook Land Theatre.

 2008 cast: Director Brian Schultz (orange), Liz Haglund (yellow),

Emily Davis (purple), Eryn Schatz (green), Austin Gehrts (red), and Josh Jung (blue). Courtesy Storybook Land Theatre.

the children’s theater out at Storybook Land, and he has been able to continue that passion with the Young People’s Theatre through ACT.

Directing SBLT for over two decades, Brian has been able to experience the growth of the program first-hand. One area Brian described when talking about the evolution of the program is the development of music from outside recordings to a live band.

“Normally, if you go to a show, you’ll hear just some recorded music playing--you know, just peppy music,” Brian said. This enabled the Theatre to give the audience something other than silence to listen to while the cast was preparing for their performance. “I don’t even remember when we started, but I grabbed my guitar and just started noodling around with some songs. I thought it would be more fun to listen to than just piped music.”

The theater group has now formed a “band” that has been rising in talent and increasing in popularity within the community. Requests

This summer is going to be so much fun!”

-Sadie Raap

have been sent in to SBLT to simply perform their music at various events around the Aberdeen area. They have a repertoire of 60 songs that the cast members can pull out at any moment’s notice. This is just one of many examples of how much Brian has contributed to the development of SBLT.

“The steadiness and inspiration that my coworkers provide me will likely go far in helping me move forward. SBLT and, more specifically, Brian, has taught me to push my limits and solve problems—skills which translate well to many other areas of life,” violinist and cast member Kara Sinar said.

David, as the supervisor of ARCC, said the third and final purpose of SBLT is to provide an opportunity for people to work in the arts and receive education and training to help them craft their skills before taking the next step in their career, whether it is for a college education or another job.

“I learned a lot about myself as an artist through my years with SBLT. I found a passion for children’s theater by helping lead the children’s camps. I gained vital experience of what working in the entertainment industry is like,” former cast member Paige Walth Tiede said. Paige used her experience to graduate Summa Cum Laude from MSUM with a degree in Theatre Arts: Design and Technology. Her love for theater brought her back to her roots, and she now works at ACT as the Theatre Technician and Facility Coordinator.

AVA ROTT

Actor Age: 16 SBLT Color: Green Instrument: Bass, saxophone

Interests/Hobbies:

Tennis and singing/ dancing

KARA SINAR

Actor Age: 19 SBLT Color: Blue Instrument: Violin

Interests/Hobbies:

Dance!! Softball, writing, and reading

MAC BRUEMMER

Actor Age: 24 SBLT Color: Blue Instrument: Voice and kazoo

Interests/Hobbies:

Singing, reading, playing video games, riding bike, and eating bacon

 The 2009, cast members Israel Raba-Mickelson (blue),

Jamie Bjur (red), Director Brian Schultz (orange),

Ashley Orr (green), and Emily Davis (purple) warmup with the crowd before one of their summer productions in the Castle. Courtesy Storybook Land Theatre.

 The 2006 cast – Kevin Kelly (green), Justine

Haaland (purple), RoseAnn Kelly (blue), Jani

Gisi (yellow), Director Brian Schultz (orange), and Eryn Schatz (in black robe) pose in their costumes. Courtesy Storybook Land Theatre.

That is what sets the Theatre apart from similar ones in the area. It enables the cast to obtain a pre-professional theater experience, giving them experience on how to both perform and teach in the arts. Brian holds everyone to a high standard of excellence, which is easy for him, he said, because everyone in the cast is already so devoted to SBLT and its mission to bring fun and entertainment to the community.

“Being on the castle stage feels like home,” vocalist and cast member Emily Davis said.

When the cast is exerting all their passion and commitment to their performance and they love what they are doing, that energy and excitement is bound to carry over to the audience. It is what makes SBLT so special to the Aberdeen community.

Even though the cast makes the job look simple and light-hearted, an abundance of time is spent perfecting the nuts and bolts of each performance.

“I think part of the magic is making what we do look easy, and look like tons of fun,” Brian said. “We rehearse five days a week, many times working up to three different shows each day.” With all the time they spend together vigorously working to memorize a show in under three days, Brian and the cast have become more like family than coworkers.

And with the challenges SBLT faced last year due to the global pandemic, the cast is more than ready to venture back to their usual summer schedule in the Castle.

Sneak Peek to Summer Fun

“This summer is going to be so much fun!” sound tech Sadie Raap said.

Each show is performed three times a week at 10:00 AM Tuesday and 7:00 PM Wednesday and Friday. SBLT was also a part of the Fourth of July Celebration at Wylie and will perform in the Storybook Land Festival on July 24.

An intriguing feature for many of the stories will be their twist on classic fairy tales. Brian also shared his excitement of returning all of their music components and continuing their tour. The tour is an encore of sorts that allows SBLT to embrace their creativity and originality to towns outside the Aberdeen area.

How can you support SBLT this summer?

According to Brian, “As far as the survival of the program, really, that’s all on the city, so we are able to keep it free for the public. Just the fact that they come out and watch and enjoy the shows and tell all their friends about it is the greatest support they can offer.”

So, stop by the Castle during its showtimes to see the creativity and joy of the cast and experience the magic of SBLT for yourself. //  With three shows already completed, you don’t want to miss any more! Check out the Summer Events Schedule for a list of showtimes.

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

By Tom McCabe Sunday, July 4, 2021 5:00 pm

Part of July 4th Celebration Tuesday, July 6, 2021 10:00 am

Wednesday, July 7, 2021 Friday, July 9, 2021 7:00 pm 7:00 pm

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

By Mike Kenny Based on the book by Jon Scieszka & Lane Smith Tuesday, July 13, 2021 10:00 am Wednesday, July 14, 2021 7:00 pm Friday, July 16, 2021 7:00 pm

The Tiger Who Came to Tea

By David Wood Based on the book by Judith Kerr Tuesday, July 20, 2021 10:00 am Wednesday, July 21, 2021 7:00 pm Friday, July 23, 2021 7:00 pm Saturday, July 24, 2021 10:00 am

Time TBA: Part of Storybook Land Festival

Best Summer Ever

By Kevin Kling Music by Victor Zupanc Tuesday, July 27, 2021 10:00 am Wednesday, July 28, 2021 7:00 pm Friday, July 30, 2021 7:00 pm

Dear Edwina

Book and Lyrics by Marcy Heisler Music by Zina Goldrich Tuesday, August 03, 2021 10:00 am Wednesday, August 04, 2021 7:00 pm Friday, August 06, 2021 7:00 pm

STORYBOOK LAND THEATRE: ON TOUR

Dear Edwina

Book and Lyrics by Marcy Heisler Music by Zina Goldrich Dates, Times, Locations TBA Check out www.facebook.com/SBLTheatre or www.AberdeenCommunityTheatre.com/ Young-Peoples-Theatre/young-peoples-theatre/ for performance schedule

EMILY DAVIS

Actor Age: 29 SBLT Color: Purple Instrument: Voice, tambourine, and kazoo

Interests/Hobbies:

Singing, theater, music, video games, reading, and watching movies

HAVEN BRUNES

Actor Age: 20 SBLT Color: Purple Instrument: Guitar and banjo

Interests/Hobbies:

Cars!! Music, cooking, and dogs

SADIE RAAP

Sound Tech Age: 16 SBLT Color: Green Instrument: Guitar

Interests/Hobbies:

Music, reading, playing video games, board games, and hanging out with friends