EAPC is proud to have contributed architectural planning and design expertise to Thrive in Thief River: 55+ Housing, recently recognized with a 2026 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations.
Led by Advance Thief River in collaboration with the Northwest Regional Development Commission and a multidisciplinary team of regional partners, the initiative created a community-informed framework for expanding age-friendly housing options in Thief River Falls and Pennington County. The strategic plan is intended to guide future housing decisions, partnerships and investment while helping older residents remain independent, connected and active in the community.
Presented annually, the Aliceann Wohlbruck NADO Impact Awards recognize regional development organizations and their partners for creative approaches to community and economic development. The 2026 awards honor 94 projects led by 58 organizations across 20 states, highlighting work in areas including regional planning, economic growth, infrastructure, workforce development and community resilience.
EAPC’s role centered on helping residents and project partners visualize what future 55+ housing could look like.
Our team developed three primary housing concepts:
EAPC presented the housing options during public meetings, giving residents an opportunity to respond to the proposed building types, layouts and community features. The concepts were then refined to reflect feedback gathered throughout the engagement process.
Community members emphasized the importance of accessible, single-level living; reduced maintenance responsibilities; practical parking and storage; affordability; and opportunities for social connection. The planning process followed a “You Said, We Heard” approach, allowing participants to see how their input directly influenced the evolving concepts.
As a final deliverable, EAPC prepared conceptual master plans showing how the different housing types could be arranged on parcels identified by local landowners and developers. These layouts brought the ideas together within cohesive neighborhood settings and provided tangible tools to support future conversations with property owners, developers, funding partners and community leaders.
The refined concepts received strong support from meeting participants, particularly the idea of creating a “community within a community” offering a variety of housing and lifestyle choices. The completed plans helped move the conversation from broad visioning toward actionable development possibilities.
Although the strategic plan does not commit the community to a specific development, site or construction timeline, it establishes a foundation for coordinated decision-making and future public-private partnerships.
This national recognition underscores the value of combining regional collaboration, meaningful public engagement and thoughtful design. EAPC congratulates the Northwest Regional Development Commission, Advance Thief River and all project partners whose efforts are helping to create more diverse, accessible and connected housing opportunities for the region.