Carleen Wild Wilson, who is president of the Flandreau Development Corporation, and her family have started cleaning and renovating the former Ben Franklin store, which hasn’t been open in years. She purchased the building June 15.
Owning business property has been something she has dreamed about for years, she said.
“I was given an incredible number of opportunities as a young girl in my own hometown of Poynette, Wisconsin, and it’s a town very much like Flandreau,” she said. “I remember when I was only 15, standing in the large front window of the Poynette Café that I waitressed in, thinking that someday I’d have my own Main Street restaurant or other business and pay those generosities forward. I feel like now is that time.”
Wild Wilson will share part-time photography studio space in the back with Parsley, and each are keeping their own business names.

The rest of the space is open for lease.
“It would be great to see a unique small retail business that complements the long-standing businesses we already have in town, or it would make a great and unique office space for someone looking for a South Dakota home,” she said.
The upstairs space has a variety of opportunities, she said.
“It would make a phenomenal office space for someone, but it will also be a cute and classic apartment with historical features when we wrap up some initial renovations,” she said. “Our goal for both the upstairs and back of the main level is to be in by August 15 at the latest. The main level front will take a bit more resources, and I want to make sure it’s the right fit for whoever might consider leasing the space.”
Even with more businesses opening, there still are needs for Flandreau, including gathering space, she said.
“I think one of the most important things we can ever realize, if we want to flourish and attract and retain both businesses and residents at any stage of life, is to understand that the job is never really done,” she said. “There are always ways we might improve and make our home and community a more loving, vibrant, active and inviting place. Gathering spaces of all kinds, especially, are still needed – including a coffee shop.”