Re:The Long-Term Unemployed Are Doomed
by protomyth on Wednesday December 11, 2013 @01:59PM
(#6889755)
This is actually not the first oil boom in ND.
Housing availability is the big killer, plus lack of experience with a place that can -40F in the winter before windchill and 100F in the summer[1]. Going with the lack of housing is an overloaded infrastructure (water, sewer) that is being built up as fast as it can.
[edit] Also, a lack of people trained in the vocational skills needed for work in the area.
If I had the cash[2] I would try two things. I would probably build a combo capsule hotel, drug store, and laundry mat in the area (for single folks).
For a second thing, I have been fascinated with using pre-fab modules (think cargo container-ish) with standardized utility hookup that could be plugged into a shell building. Build a couple of building down the oil fields and see if the containers migrate.
1) this does play hell with the vehicles. I wrote a grant 20 year ago that included the stats on that and car maintenance given income. It was an interesting combo.
Housing availability is the big killer, plus lack of experience with a place that can -40F in the winter before windchill and 100F in the summer[1]. Going with the lack of housing is an overloaded infrastructure (water, sewer) that is being built up as fast as it can.
[edit] Also, a lack of people trained in the vocational skills needed for work in the area.
If I had the cash[2] I would try two things. I would probably build a combo capsule hotel, drug store, and laundry mat in the area (for single folks).
For a second thing, I have been fascinated with using pre-fab modules (think cargo container-ish) with standardized utility hookup that could be plugged into a shell building. Build a couple of building down the oil fields and see if the containers migrate.
1) this does play hell with the vehicles. I wrote a grant 20 year ago that included the stats on that and car maintenance given income. It was an interesting combo.
2) we are talking $$$$ millions