VALLEY CITY, ND (NewsDakota.com) – A Fargo based business partnership, 845 Holdings, LLC, has purchased the property formerly known as Woodland Steakhouse, located at 1251 14th ST SW in Valley City.
Renovations began just days after the sale was completed. The project is moving forward at a rapid pace with a planned grand opening in September 2022. The building consists of over 10,000 square feet of usable space, along with 3.9 acres of land featuring mature trees and breath-taking views along the Sheyenne River.
This new venue will host weddings, corporate events, private events and entertainment related events up to 300 guests. The outdoor acreage allows for additional space for larger events.
Although this is a new business to the Valley City area, the ownership group at 845 Holdings is no stranger to the event center and hospitality industry. All partners in this project have ownership in venues in the Fargo/Moorhead area and their team has successfully completed almost 2,000 events at those locations. The partners in 845 Holdings, LLC have over 20 years combined experience in the hospitality/events industry. This group is passionate about providing beautiful spaces for gatherings.
All partners in this new venture have ties to the Valley City community. Partner and Director of Sales, Kayla Cash, was raised in Valley City, graduated from Valley City High School in 2005 and Valley City State University in 2008. Cash from an early age had an entrepreneurial spirit, working several jobs simultaneously during her high school and college years including The Theatre I&II, Dairy Queen, community swimming pool, and Wagon Wheel Inn. Her parents are Valley City residents and active members of the community.
Partner and General Manager, Lauren Nelson, attended Valley City State University. Nelson, a Casselton native, has family members who also attended Valley City State University, including a brother who played baseball at VCSU. Her strong work ethic and many years of management experience will play a vital role in the success of the new business.
Partner Jon Rustvang also attended Valley City State University and played football for VCSU in 1974 and 1975.
Partner Jade Nielsen spent his early childhood years in Valley City. Both of his parents graduated from Valley City High School. His father, Rick Nielsen, was the sports editor for the Valley City Times Record for many years. Nielsen’s grandfather owned a Valley City construction company and built many local buildings. Our Savior’s Lutheran Church was built by his great grandfather N.M, grandfather Wayne Nielsen, and great uncle Gene Nielsen with Nielsen Construction. Nielsen’s grandparents were the first to be married in the upstairs of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church.
Kayla Cash, Partner and Director of Sales, said she’s looking forward to bringing her knowledge and experience of planning weddings, corporate events and private events to the Valley City area. “I’ve personally worked with over 1,000 brides and grooms over the past 8 years in the F-M area and I’m looking forward to expanding to Valley City. It brings me great joy to help couples plan the most important day of their lives,” Cash said. With over 180 weddings on the calendar for this year alone at the Fargo venues, Cash is looking forward to adding to that number with the third wedding venue in Valley City. Along with her role guiding couples through the wedding planning process, Cash focuses on building strong relationships with businesses who host meetings, conferences and client events at her venues. She’s looking forward to many holiday parties, corporate meetings, company retreats and more at the new event center. “It’s been exciting to hear from so many Valley City residents who are looking forward to having this new venue available to rent for events. We’re grateful for all of the support and positive feedback we’ve received so far,” Cash added.
Early on in the renovations, 845 Holdings, LLC is already providing a boost to the local economy by hiring local contractors including demo crews, plumbers, electricians, HVAC, painters, drywall contractors and more. Building materials will be purchased locally. A Valley City company completed all title work for the sale of the property and insurance services were also secured through a local office.
Partner Jon Rustvang has spent the last few weeks meeting with local contractors to finalize plans for the renovation project. “Growing up in a small town, I’m a firm believer that in order to be successful in a smaller community it’s imperative to support local as much as possible. I’m enjoying the partnerships that we’re building with local tradespeople and it’s been a great experience meeting with so many wonderful contractors in this community,” Rustvang said.
A majority of employees at the new event center will also be local residents. Partner and General Manager, Lauren Nelson said she is looking forward to opening up the employment application process once the renovations are nearing completion.
“We’ll build a team of dedicated and hard-working employees who are focused on a 5-star guest experience in our venue”, Nelson said. The event center will have available positions for bartenders, banquet staff, operations staff, janitorial, security and more. Additional information on employment opportunities will be posted on their website and social media mid to late Summer. Weddings, corporate and private events will be the primary events held at the new event center, but there’s plans for entertainment events as well.
Partner Jade Nielsen has 32 years of experience in the live music/entertainment industry and is looking forward to bringing entertainment to Valley City. “We’re glad to be filling a void in the event center and entertainment industry in Valley City and it’s surrounding communities. With my family ties to this area and fond childhood memories, I couldn’t think of a better place to expand to,” Nielsen said. What will this new event center be called? That’s the million-dollar question. The owners are asking for help from the community! “It’s important for us to have input from local residents as this is their event center too”, said Lauren Nelson. The goal is to have a name in the next few weeks and anyone who would like to offer a suggestion is encouraged to share their ideas on the venue’s Facebook Page named “Valley City Event Center”.
Along with supporting local contractors through the renovation process, employment opportunities and additional tax revenue for the City of Valley City, this venue will also drive new customers to other local businesses. “When a wedding takes place, hundreds of guests are invited and many will travel from outside Barnes County, bringing dollars to local hotels, bars & restaurants, gas stations, coffee shops, grocery stores and more. I see many Valley City couples getting married at our Fargo venues, and I’m excited to have an opportunity for those who want to stay closer to home to be able to support their
favorite local vendors for their wedding day. From local caterers, photographers and videographers, hair salons and makeup artists, florists, DJ’s, decorators and more; the sky is the limit for wedding vendors in this area to expand their business at this new premiere event center,” said Kayla Cash.
The opportunity to reserve dates on their calendar for 2022-2024 events will open on Monday, May 16. More information on rental rates will be made available in the coming weeks.
