What if you could live where you work, create multiple income streams, and build an entirely different way of life — all from one property? Located in the remote northern plains of North Dakota near the Canadian border, The Old School Center is more than a business… it’s a lifestyle, a commercial opportunity, and a piece of local history. This nearly 20,000 sq ft property sits on approximately 5 acres along Highway 85/5 in the heart of the Bakken region, just 8 miles south of the Fortuna Port of Entry into Canada and 11 miles east of Montana.
Currently operating as a motel, RV park, bar & grill, convenience store, and commercial shop property, the campus includes owner housing, guest suites, RV infrastructure, gym facilities, storage, and significant expansion potential. The property serves hunters, oilfield crews, custom harvesters, truckers, construction workers, travelers, and outdoor enthusiasts year-round. Hunting season — waterfowl, pheasant and deer season — brings visitors from across the country seeking lodging, fuel, food, and gathering places.
Surrounded by farm country, Bakken oil exploration, local natural gas plant, and major transportation routes, this property also offers incredible flexibility for future redevelopment. While the current businesses have operated successfully for years, the building could also be repurposed into workforce housing, employee lodging, trucking or construction company headquarters, logistics operations, apartments, fulfillment services, remote worker housing, or other commercial uses. Much of the building remains underutilized, giving future owners the opportunity to reimagine the property entirely. Existing businesses could potentially be relocated to Main Street Fortuna, where appropriate zoning also exists, allowing the campus itself to evolve into something much larger.
The community of Fortuna offers amenities rarely found in small rural towns, including an indoor curling club, indoor gun range, remodeled senior center, new city park equipment, and vacant lots with incentives for new residents and development. Over 300 trees and shrubs have been planted throughout the property in recent years, many now standing over 8 feet tall, creating a unique prairie setting unlike most commercial properties in the region. Guests often spend hours looking at the photographs and memorabilia lining the walls — a living museum of local history, school memories, oilfield growth, and the generations connected to this old school.
Nearby attractions include the historic Fortuna Air Base tower, Writing Rock State Historic Site, the old Alkabo school area, and Lake Skjermo for kayaking, skiing, camping, and fishing. North Dakota continues to be recognized as one of the most patriotic and business-friendly states in the nation — welcoming entrepreneurship, energy development, growth, and opportunity.
This is not simply real estate.
It is freedom, flexibility, history, business opportunity, remote living, and the chance to create your own future on the northern plains.
Michael Ferris – 520-631-6433
Deborah Lamb – 520-625-9289
Website:
The Old School Center
