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NanoBison
Mar 25, 2007, 10:33 PM
Hello Everyone! I'm back. Sorry I've been away so long.

I agree, trading Renny's Parlor for a Pita Pit will be a definite improvement on that area. No offense to Renny's Parlor, but the kind of people they had as regular customers. Yikes. I've been in there twice. The first time I went and figured I'd give them a try and have lunch with my mom, since she was visiting. Well, they had two people yelling "f-this and f-that" the entire time we were there and when the owner said something to them, they got really defensive. We left at that point. The other time I went with three other friends. Same typical crowd, except one guy in there was so rough looking, we thought it may be good to get tetanus shots after lunch.

I hope they really clean up the inside of it and do some remodeling. The building itself is pretty structurally sound. It'll certainly be nice to have another place to eat downtown as well.

Doc
Mar 26, 2007, 3:03 PM
I think the Pita Pit will go in next door. Both the Parlour and the next door pool-table storage place are being renovated, but the VFW building permit indicates it is going to be some sort of Italian restaurant (Tuscan something or other...). The adjacent retail space is being gutted and looks like it could very well be the Pita Pit.

Yes, I'm living in Fargo (here 10 months now). I've been looking for news and content for a collaborative Red River corridor business blog that will be starting up in May (someone has to crow about what is going on here, and why should you guys have all the fun?). :cheers:

Ex-Ithacan
Mar 26, 2007, 5:18 PM
Holy smokes, another Fargo Forumer? You guys must have the highest number of forumers per 100,000 residents on SSP.

F-Misthebest
Mar 28, 2007, 12:13 PM
Meeting held on 45th plans
By Benny Polacca and Mike Nowatzki, The Forum
Published Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Drivers who use Fargo’s 45th Street south of 32nd Avenue South could see their traffic hassles dramatically decrease when it’s widened in two years.

Today, the narrow two-lane stretch cannot accommodate heavy traffic flows made by residents of the area’s newest neighborhoods.

About 25 area residents attended a public meeting Tuesday evening at Kennedy Elementary School. City officials and engineers answered residents’ questions while they viewed plan recommendations.

The city is seeking federal funds to widen 45th Street from two lanes to four lanes between 32nd and 52nd avenues south in 2009, City Engineer Mark Bittner said.

The DOT is scheduled to rebuild the interchange at Interstate 29 and 52nd Avenue South in 2008. At the same time, the city will also widen 52nd Avenue from Interstate 29 to University Drive.

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/1628/032820street20copybk5.jpg

Las Vegas-based developer Larry Scheffler has asked the city to also consider paving 52nd Avenue from I-29 to 45th Street in 2008. He hopes the road is in place when Wal-Mart opens a Supercenter in the southwest corner of the interchange in his development known as The District at the Lakes.

The city hasn’t budgeted funds for that portion of 52nd Avenue and would likely have to bond for the construction, Bittner said.

Bittner said the connection of 42nd Street to 52nd Avenue may happen yet this fall.

No one at Kennedy Elementary Tuesday night opposed the road construction, but several residents asked how the construction will affect their daily drives.

Glen Harris wondered about traffic detouring plans, but got no immediate answers.

Residents were asked to fill out questionnaire forms on the construction before leaving.

“The comments will go to the city,” Jeffery Lansink of Houston Engineering said. The Fargo-based firm is preparing a project concept report based on the public’s feedback.

The report will then be submitted to the North Dakota Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration for final approvals.

Harris, who moved into the area 14 months ago, said he knew the environment would be remade.

“I understood there would be changes” on the way, he said.


Readers can reach Forum reporters Benny Polacca at (701) 235-7311 and Mike Nowatzki at (701) 241-5528

F-Misthebest
Mar 28, 2007, 12:18 PM
Apparently the CEC Theatres that control our town is been bought and all the theatres will switch to Marcus Theatres. I don't know if this is good or not.

NanoBison
Mar 29, 2007, 12:12 AM
It's not good in the short term, as the additional theatre that was planned for Moorhead has now been delayed (http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=161025). That's unfortunate becuase I was actually looking forward to another theatre in the Metropolitan Area. Hopefully it will still get built.

SmileyBoy
Mar 29, 2007, 5:09 AM
(FYI: I heard that a Lowe's is also planned for this development)

http://www.in-forum.com/gfx/photos/full/0329-distirct-aerial3.jpg

http://www.in-forum.com/gfx/photos/full/District_bridge1.jpg

Planners ‘very excited’ about southside project
Mike Nowatzki, The Forum
Published Thursday, March 29, 2007

Planning commissioners gushed Wednesday over a new south Fargo development that will feature man-made lakes and be anchored by a Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Commissioners got their first look at architectural renderings of “The District,” Las Vegas-based developer Larry Scheffler’s 277-acre project southwest of Interstate 29 and 52nd Avenue.

During a brown-bag session, members also reviewed elevations of the new Wal-Mart store, which will sport a brick fa?ade on all four sides.

Planning Commission Chairman John Q. Paulsen said the panel is “very excited” about Scheffler’s plans and his insistence that design standards be established for the development.

“What we’ve seen so far makes us very enthusiastic about moving forward,” Paulsen said.

The Planning Commission will consider approving a plat for the first 110 acres of The District on April 11, Senior Planner Jim Hinderaker said. The property is already zoned for commercial use.

With Scheffler’s support, city planners hope to create a conditional overlay district or design zone district to enforce design standards in the development, Hinderaker said.

Structures in The District will feature a lot of brick, which “seemed to be a material that’s very indigenous to the architecture of Fargo,” said Alan Dostert, president and CEO of EAPC Architects & Engineers in Fargo.

Scheffler said he also envisions “fairly extensive” landscaping in the development.

Darcy Winter, the real estate agent working for Wal-Mart on the project, said the retailer is excited about being part of Scheffler’s proposed upscale development, which will include housing, offices and an open-air mall.

“We have every belief that not only will they pull it off, but this will be the nicest project by far that you’ve seen in Fargo,” she said.

Winter said it’s too early to say when construction will start on the supercenter, adding it depends on when the I-29 interchange and 52nd Avenue are reconstructed.

“We can’t get those roads built fast enough,” she said.

Both the interchange and 52nd Avenue between I-29 and University Drive are scheduled to be rebuilt in 2008.

Scheffler has asked the city to expand 52nd Avenue from I-29 to 45th Street at the same time, but the city has no funds budgeted for that project and would probably have to bond for it, City Engineer Mark Bittner has said.

Scheffler said he’s still toying with “The District at the Lakes” or “The District at Fargo” as two possible names for the development.

F-Misthebest
Mar 29, 2007, 12:10 PM
New Moorhead theater likely delayed
Melinda Rogers, The Forum
Published Thursday, March 29, 2007

A new movie theater in Moorhead likely won’t open as soon as anticipated.

St. Cloud, Minn.-based Cinema Entertainment Corp. has abandoned plans to build a theater on the city’s south side, company Vice President Tony Tillemans said Wednesday.

“Cinema Entertainment Corp. will not be building a theater in Moorhead,” Tillemans said.

“The land that was involved in that is being purchased by Marcus Theaters,” he said.

The news follows an announcement that several Fargo-Moorhead movie theaters operated by CEC will soon be under new ownership.

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/816/0329moorheadtheaterpx8.jpg

Milwaukee-based Marcus Corp. earlier this month said it will purchase Fargo’s West Acres 14 and Century 10, and the Safari 7 in Moorhead.

The company acquired the theaters as part of an agreement to buy 11 theaters formerly owned by CEC for $75.6 million.

The agreement should be finalized in April. Marcus Corp. expects to take over all operations by the end of that month, said Carlo Petrick, a communications manager for the company, which operates 628 screens in six states.

Petrick said earlier this week Marcus Corp. plans to only operate West Acres 14, Century 10 and Safari 7.

Tillemans said he believes Marcus Corp. will spend some time adjusting to the market before making a decision on whether to build a new movie theater in Moorhead.

CEC announced in September that it bought 10 acres of a 40-acre piece of vacant land between 30th Avenue South and Interstate 94 in Moorhead.

Tillemans said in September a 12- to 15-screen theater would be built east of the strip mall that houses O’Leary’s Pub, CVS Pharmacy and True Value Hardware.

He previously said plans for the theater would be presented to the Moorhead City Council “in early 2007.” Pending approval, construction of the theater was supposed to take six to nine months.

While possible delays in getting a new movie theater are disappointing for the city, there is other promising growth on the south side, Moorhead City Manager Bruce Messelt said.

Aakers College announced in February it is building a new facility that will offer health-related courses not offered at its Fargo campus.

The college’s Moorhead site, adjacent to Interstate 94 and Eighth Street South, is scheduled to open this fall.

City Assessor Peter Doll said a recent market study pointed to the need for another movie theater in Moorhead. The location CEC proposed was pegged as a good spot for a new cinema, Doll said.

“If this company doesn’t build it, another company will. The study has been done that identified a need,” Doll said.


Readers can reach Forum reporter Melinda Rogers at (701) 241-5524

Doc
Mar 29, 2007, 2:01 PM
So, apparently the formula for some of our senators is

Private Money + Better Facility + Helps the City= "repulsive"

Senators are upset at higherd

By The Associated Press

North Dakota State University ignored the Legislature's explicit directions when it bought two downtown Fargo buildings last year for its business college and architecture department, senators say.

Sen. Randy Christmann, R-Hazen, described the action as "repulsive," while Sen. Joel Heitkamp, D-Hankinson, said it went "to the heart and soul" of legislators' misgivings about the budget authority that lawmakers have ceded to the state university system.

"The university system has been doing what it wants to do, when it wants to do it, and I imagine they will continue. But it is not their fault," Christmann said. "It is our fault, because we are the enablers."

The sparks flew Tuesday as the North Dakota Senate was debating amendments to the university system's budget bill. Senators approved the amendments on a voice vote, and the bill itself could be debated again as early as today.

If legislative directives are going to be disregarded, "it would beg the question of whether any of these amendments really mean anything," Heitkamp said.

Keith Bjerke, NDSU's vice president for university relations, said he was baffled by the remarks. The school's purchase of two former insurance buildings was carried out with privately raised money and provided a better location and more space for NDSU's needs at a cheaper price, he said.

"We thought it was a win-win," Bjerke said.

Two years ago, the Legislature's budget bill for North Dakota's university system included a section giving NDSU permission to raise money to build a new building for its business college on the university's campus.

Last October, NDSU announced it had bought the former Pioneer Mutual Life and Lincoln National Life buildings in downtown Fargo for $3.54 million. They will be used for the school's business college and its architecture and landscape architecture departments.

Joseph Chapman, the university's president, said at the time that buying the buildings rather that building a new one on campus would save about $3.5 million and give the university about 11,000 square feet in additional floor space.

Bjerke said university officials believed they only needed permission from the Board of Higher Education to change the plans. The board approved the purchase of the buildings.

"The simple fact is, no state money goes into it," Bjerke said. "As we started raising money, we kind of hit a plateau, and we couldn't build the building that we needed. And other opportunity presented itself to allow us to have a better facility for the dollars that we had."

One of the amendments to the university system's new budget bill gives NDSU permission to go off campus for a building for its business school. The section prompted senators on Tuesday to recall what the bill had said two years earlier.

Sen. Raymon Holmberg, R-Grand Forks, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called the section an acknowledgment of the university's "change of plans" when explaining the amendments on the Senate floor Tuesday.

"What we're doing is, we're approving something that they've already done," Heitkamp said to Holmberg. "That is correct," Holmberg replied.

Last month, Christmann, who is the assistant Senate Republican majority leader, referred to the university system as a "monster" and an "education cartel" in a Senate floor speech.

He took up the cudgel again Tuesday, saying the NDSU building issue was a "perfect example" of "repulsive" behavior.

"If we were talking about a person here instead of a cartel, we would make a choice. When we see behavior that is unacceptable, we'd make a choice, whether we impose consequences, or whether we go and pick up the pieces and enable them to continue the kind of behavior ... that we did not approve of," Christmann said. "I think we all know what we would do if we were talking about an individual."

The bill is HB1003. The section in question is Section 21.

Doc
Mar 30, 2007, 12:06 PM
Craig McEwen, The Forum
Published Friday, March 30, 2007

Big Daddy’s Surf Bar and Grill, 1515 42nd St. S., Fargo, is now Big D’s Bar and Grill.

“I haven’t changed the name. I abbreviated it,” said owner Robert Leslie, Jr.

Big D’s will specialize in burgers and pasta, and will offer a lunch menu containing 20 items under $7, including drink, fries and tax, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, he said. The bar and grill will be open Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

The decision to shorten the name was in preparation for future expansion plans, Leslie said.

Name repetition also played into the decision, he said. “Big Daddy’s is in so many variations in so many states. Our customers call it ‘Big D’s’ all the time.”

“As part of our vision to open more locations in North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin and then national expansion of the franchise, we needed to upgrade to new brand identity that will bode well in any market,” Leslie said. “This new look is more friendly to franchise opportunities.”

Bill Kieffer, former manager of the Windbreak Saloon and Casino in Fargo, is general manager for Big D’s. Big Daddy’s opened with a tropical theme in June 2006 in the former Gecko’s restaurant.

In a survey of clients conducted by Leslie over the past six months, the majority wanted a more relaxed atmosphere, he said.

“They weren’t in love with the bright colors. We really made the restaurant what they wanted.”

Remodeling is under way. “It’s going to be more of a sleek, contemporary look,” Kieffer said.

“We are looking forward to being an extremely popular entertainment destination,” with karaoke and live music on Friday and Saturday nights.

SmileyBoy
Mar 31, 2007, 3:17 AM
A bunch of idiots on the UND Sioux message board are agreeing with those clowns in the legislature (regarding the Pioneer Building purchase), and it seems it's simply because it's a story that is making an attempt to throw dirt at NDSU and Fargo, and nothing more. Basically you have a lot of UND/Grand Forks backers saying things like, "Oh yeah, this IS a shame!! NDSU thinks they can do whatever they want, the legislature is right, blah, blah, blah..." just because it's a story trying to throw dirt at NDSU/Fargo. Never mind the fact that if the shoe was on the other foot, the GF idiots would deny it up and down the block.

Sometimes I wish Cass County was in Minnesota.

Doc
Mar 31, 2007, 8:16 PM
The UND zombies love suing to keep a dumb mascot and groveling for the money from a dead guy who used to throw Hitler parties (turns out that Mr. Hockey Arena's trust fund is almost exclusively going to Nevada Catholic Churches and schools and not UND). OF COURSE they think spending less money to get more educational space for NDSU is a bad idea. Anything that helps NDSU and Fargo is automatically a bad thing to them. Funny thing is they don't know the Senators who said that know they are on thin ice calling for more government micromanagement to solve the "crisis" of saving taxpayer money and serving the public better. UND will continue to sink into irrelevance as NDSU just keeps getting better.

SmileyBoy
Apr 1, 2007, 1:09 AM
The UND zombies love suing to keep a dumb mascot and groveling for the money from a dead guy who used to throw Hitler parties (turns out that Mr. Hockey Arena's trust fund is almost exclusively going to Nevada Catholic Churches and schools and not UND). OF COURSE they think spending less money to get more educational space for NDSU is a bad idea. Anything that helps NDSU and Fargo is automatically a bad thing to them. Funny thing is they don't know the Senators who said that know they are on thin ice calling for more government micromanagement to solve the "crisis" of saving taxpayer money and serving the public better. UND will continue to sink into irrelevance as NDSU just keeps getting better.

I agree 100%.

You, me and NanoBison need to hang out somewhere.:D

Doc
Apr 1, 2007, 2:28 PM
Up and running
Melinda Rogers, The Forum
Published Saturday, March 31, 2007
Dick Beardsley’s road to entrepreneurship is as winding as the Boston Marathon race that catapulted him to fame in 1982.

The inspiration to own a business started during his collegiate cross-country days at South Dakota State University in Brookings more than 30 years ago.

He pondered the idea through the height of his running career, notably marked by his “duel in the sun” with Alberto Salazar at the 1982 Boston Marathon. Beardsley came in two seconds behind Salazar that sweltering day, branding his name into the running community in the closest finish ever at the world’s premier marathon.

Beardsley held on to business aspirations in darker times that followed his prime running days.

Through a drug addiction and subsequent recovery, Beardsley knew he wanted to one day put his name on a storefront connected to the sport he loves.

Next week, Beardsley – a well-known radio personality, fishing guide, motivational speaker and elite runner from Detroit Lakes, Minn. – will see his dream become a reality.

The two-time Grandma’s Marathon champion – who holds the Duluth, Minn., course record at 2:09:37, – will open the Dick Beardsley Running Co. at 1801 45th St. S. in Fargo.

The 2,200-square-foot store will be North Dakota’s first specialty running store. In addition to running apparel, the store sells running gadgets such as watches and heart monitors, fuel belts, water bottles and other equipment; nutritional products such as gels and other supplements for long-distance running; training literature and of course, shoes.

For Beardsley, 51, the endeavor is a long time in coming.

“It was something that I thought in the back of my head would be really neat to do,” said Beardsley, who modeled the idea in part after a running store he visited in Eugene, Ore., last summer while coaching a marathon camp.

“Fargo is such a growing area. There are so many runners around here, not just in the cities of Fargo-Moorhead, but the whole surrounding region. We thought, gosh, this is something that we can do.”

Here we are, getting ready to open our running store.”

Crafting a dream

Beardsley and a couple of partners pooled resources to start up the $175,000 store.

The store hand-picked staff and trained them to help runners and walkers of all shapes and sizes connect with the right shoe, Beardsley said.

Beginners and elite runners can jump on the store’s treadmill while a salesperson examines a customer’s gait and helps determine what shoe would best complement a person’s running style.

The approach aims to offer specialized customer service not found at other retailers, said Greg Hammes, one of the store’s partners.

“We want to be a place where this is all we focus on: running and walking and everything that pertains to that,” Hammes said.

If the store’s merchandise doesn’t sound appealing, a stop to check out its funky decor is worth a trip. Fargo-based Foss Architecture and Interiors designed the store, which includes several copper art pieces that weave like ribbons through the store’s shoe wall.

Stadium seats offer customers a place to sit under shoes propelled by shelves made of nuts and bolts.

A television plays highlights of distance running moments, including highlights from Beardsley’s career.

There’s a vintage Grandma’s Marathon poster where a floppy-haired Beardsley is seen cruising to the finish line circa 1981-82.

And action shots of local runners – from 5K plodders to college athletes – are sprinkled in a photography display hanging on the store’s back wall. There’s even a shower in the store for runners who need a place to cool off after attending one of the store’s running events.

Beardsley and his partners wanted the store’s layout to stand apart from other retailers in town, said Wade Erickson, an architect for Foss Architecture and Interiors.

The result is a space with curved walls and suspended “clouds” that dangle from the store’s ceiling. Alternating colors, textures and patterns create a distinct look.

Filling a niche

The store fills a niche in Fargo-Moorhead, several local runners say.

Beardsley said his new business is rife with opportunity as he catches the latest wave of a running boom.

“The running boom today is healthier and a better running boom than it ever was before. Now it’s a lifestyle,” Beardsley said.

Minnesota has specialty running stores in St. Cloud and Duluth. The Twin Cities is home to 10 running stores.

“I think it has been long overdue,” Tom Clow, a runner for 23 years who is also a Fargo Marathon committee member, said of Beardsley’s new Fargo store.

Clow, 46, said he prefers to buy his running necessities from specialty stores, but he’s had to travel to other cities to do so.

The store can likely count on the area’s running community and Beardsley’s name recognition to help it get off the ground, said Dave Shelbourne of the Boston, Mass.-based New Balance shoe company.

Beardsley has been under contract with New Balance since 1979.

Shelbourne helped Beardsley with market research to determine whether Fargo-Moorhead could support a specialty running store.

“Dick is an industry legend who brings a wealth of knowledge about running to his store,” Shelbourne said. “He has visited many different elite dealers on our behalf over the past few years and I’m sure has gained considerable insight on their best business practices.”

A long road

While Beardsley now has the confidence of investors and business partners, his journey to entrepreneurship hasn’t been easy.

He battled an addiction to painkillers that started after a farm accident in 1989.

He was given the painkiller Demerol in the hospital, and liked the feeling it gave him. He was given the drug again three years later after two auto accidents.

Soon Beardsley was popping pills regularly, obtaining painkillers by forging prescriptions at pharmacies.

The joyride stopped in late 1996 when Beardsley was caught trying to pass a phony prescription.

A Clay County District Court judge in 1997 sentenced Beardsley to five years of probation and 460 hours of community service and ordered him to pay a $1,000 fine after he admitted forging prescriptions for painkillers.

Beardsley used the setback as a learning tool. He went through chemical dependency treatment at a Fargo hospital and became sober.

Today, he openly uses those experiences to fuel his motivational speaking engagements.

Beardsley is also in the process of starting his own foundation to help finance treatment for people struggling with addiction problems. He hopes to get the store involved in fundraising events for the foundation.

Promising beginning

The store’s grand opening activities will give Beardsley a chance to reflect on the brighter moments in his life.

Among festivities planned in coming weeks is an appearance by Salazar at the new store.

The two rivals have become friends since the days of their heated competition, Beardsley said.

Salazar, now a track coach in Oregon, will speak alongside his former nemesis on May 6.

Changing landscape for sports retailers

Listings for sporting goods retail stores in the metro area along with specialty exercise equipment, bicycle, camping, fishing, golf, and other

sports-related retail outlets have increased in the past

10 years.

Larger sporting good retail stores – such as the Sportsman’s Warehouse and Gander Mountain – have moved into Fargo-Moorhead along with more independent specialty sports shops. Here’s a look at sports retailers a decade ago and today:

Sporting goods stores 1997

- Bikes Unlimited Inc., Fargo

- Bob’s Trolling Motor Service, West Fargo

- Cash Wise Sporting Goods, Fargo

- Dunham’s Discount Sports, Fargo

- The Hook and Tackle Shop, West Fargo

- Island Park Cycles, Fargo

- Kostka Sporting Goods, Fargo

- National Golf, Fargo

- Nevada Bob’s Golf Center, Fargo

- Nordic Track Fitness At Home, Fargo

- On a Roll, Fargo

- Ostrom Ace Hardware (bicycle dealer), West Fargo

- The Outdoorsman, Fargo

- Play It Again Sports, Fargo

- Push Pedal Pull, Fargo

- Scheels (three locations in Fargo and Moorhead)

- Sportland, Moorhead

- Sports Den, Fargo

- Schroeder Sports, Fargo

- Sports My Way Inc., Moorhead

- Training Room Inc., Fargo

- Valley Sporting Goods, West Fargo

Total listings 1997: 22

Sporting goods stores 2007

- Austad’s Golf, Fargo*

- Bait Shop, Fargo

- Bob’s Trolling Motor Service, Fargo

- Cormax Central Equipment Sales, Moorhead*

- Dick Beardsley Running Co., Fargo*

- Easy Prey Lures, Moorhead

- Fargo Tackle, Fargo

- Fitnessworks, Fargo*

- Gameday Athletic Sales, Fargo*

- Gander Mountain, Fargo*

- Hockey Zone, Moorhead*

- Island Park Cycles, Fargo

- Kostka Sporting Goods, Fargo

- National Golf, Fargo

- Northwest Divers, Moorhead*

- Osgood Golf Course Pro Shop, Fargo*

- The Outdoorsman, Fargo

- Paramount Sports, Fargo*

- Play it Again Sports, Fargo

- Premium Fitness Inc., Fargo*

- Push Pedal Pull, Fargo

- 2nd Wind Exercise Equipment, Fargo*

- Rose Creek Pro Shop*

- Scheels (three locations in Fargo and Moorhead)

- Sportland Inc., Moorhead

- Sportsman’s Warehouse, Fargo*

- Training Room Inc., Fargo

- Valley Sporting Goods, West Fargo

- Wrestling Apparel, West Fargo*

Total listings 2007: 29

Source: Qwest Dex; Forum archives

*Businesses in bold were not listed in 1997

If you go:

What: Dick Beardsley Running Co.

Where: 1801 45th St. S., Fargo (701) 364-9503

When: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday

Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday

Readers can reach Forum reporter

Melinda Rogers at (701) 241-5524

F-Misthebest
Apr 1, 2007, 4:33 PM
I was searching around today and I found these population facts and estimates.

http://www.fmmetrocog.org/announcements/fmcogdemo.pdf

http://www.demographia.com/db-metmic2004.pdf

Both are pdf files. Fargo-Moorhead (Fargo,Moorhead, West Fargo, Dilworth, Wahpeton and Breckinridge) is the 177th largest community in the United States with 210,523, we grew 11,020 between the years of 2000 and 2006 or 5.5%. If you exclude Wahpeton we gained over 12,000 people but they lost people so we have to find the difference and subtract it from the growing population. If you just want the Fargo-Moorhead population (Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo, Dilworth) it's just about 190,000. 176th place belongs to our friend to the south, Sioux Falls with 212,911. It grew 13.8% or almost 26,000 people. 178th place is Prescott, Arizona. However, they grew over 40,000 people so soon Fargo and Sioux Falls will be bumped down.

F-Misthebest
Apr 1, 2007, 4:42 PM
(FYI: I heard that a Lowe's is also planned for this development)

Not to mention the Super Target.:)

NanoBison
Apr 1, 2007, 8:58 PM
I thought this was VERY good news to read. Two articles from the Associated Press in the Forum today. Here's the skinny :

Microsoft workers take road trip to Fargo (http://www.in-forum.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D8O807PG0)
By DAVE KOLPACK Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press - Sunday, April 01, 2007

Wendy Hill and her husband were fed up with traffic, smog and other big city life. So he went on a monthlong Midwestern road trip to stake out new land.

"We had always heard quite a bit about the Midwestern lifestyle. And we wanted to go someplace where we wouldn't spend August breathing smog in the heat and humidity with seven million cars on the road," Hill said.

read more... (http://www.in-forum.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D8O807PG0)

Microsoft builds up operations in North Dakota (http://www.in-forum.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D8O8077O0)
By DAVE KOLPACK Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press - Sunday, April 01, 2007

Six years after Microsoft acquired North Dakota's Great Plains Software for $1.1 billion, its acquired Fargo operations are growing. Besides building on Great Plains' software for businesses, Microsoft has built an executive briefing center and moved its payroll operations for the United States and Canada to the Roughrider State.

The campus of more than 1,200 employees is planning to expand from two buildings to three. New hires are coming from warm-weather areas to a place where subzero temperatures are common in the winter.

Joel Hensley, a senior at the University of Nebraska, has signed on to join the Fargo company at the end of July.

"To be honest, I wasn't too certain about Fargo. I had never been to North Dakota my entire life," Hensley said. "The big turning point for me was seeing the atmosphere at the Fargo campus. Work hard, play hard. That's what I like."

read more... (http://www.in-forum.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D8O8077O0)



Finally, I just received information in my email this week that they are again starting the recruiting process looking for SDE (Software Development Engineers) and SDET (SDE in Test). I'll be applying, and I'll let you all know how it goes!

:banana:

NanoBison
Apr 1, 2007, 8:59 PM
Not to mention the Super Target.:) Are you sure that a Super Target is going in there? I thought the Walmart replaced it? I hope it is, I'd prefer a Super Target to a Walmart any day of the week.

NanoBison
Apr 1, 2007, 9:09 PM
I was searching around today and I found these population facts and estimates.

http://www.fmmetrocog.org/announcements/fmcogdemo.pdf

http://www.demographia.com/db-metmic2004.pdf

Both are pdf files. Fargo-Moorhead (Fargo,Moorhead, West Fargo, Dilworth, Wahpeton and Breckinridge) is the 177th largest community in the United States with 210,523, we grew 11,020 between the years of 2000 and 2006 or 5.5%. If you exclude Wahpeton we gained over 12,000 people but they lost people so we have to find the difference and subtract it from the growing population. If you just want the Fargo-Moorhead population (Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo, Dilworth) it's just about 190,000. 176th place belongs to our friend to the south, Sioux Falls with 212,911. It grew 13.8% or almost 26,000 people. 178th place is Prescott, Arizona. However, they grew over 40,000 people so soon Fargo and Sioux Falls will be bumped down.

Looking at some of the other North Dakota towns :

317 Bismarck, ND 94,719 101,138 6,419 6.8%
327 Grand Forks, ND-MN 97,478 96,523 (955) -1.0%
411 Minot, ND 67,394 63,124 (4,270) -6.3%

Way to go Bismarck,... Grand Forks and Minot, not so much... :whip:

Doc
Apr 2, 2007, 12:55 AM
A few weeks ago I met and talked to a group of women who were visiting the Microsoft campus for an extended stay. Saw them at the HoDo and talked up the place since I love it here.

SmileyBoy
Apr 2, 2007, 3:05 AM
I'm glad that Bismarck/Mandan is growing fast. If North Dakota is going to grow faster in the future, therte needs to be at least two magnets for growth.

Speaking of which, anyone here care to predict what F-M's 4-county metro pop. might be in 2010?? I'm gonna guess 227,000. (Somewhere between 225-230,000) I think the MetroCOG's numbers are currently more accurate.

NanoBison
Apr 2, 2007, 5:29 AM
Quick question : When did the Parking ramp between Wells Fargo and Bank of the West downtown become a monthly payment agreement ramp. You can't park there unless you have a prox-card. The heck is up with that? I'm pretty sure the US Bank plaza ramp is closed to the public as well. At this point the Plenty-of-Parking is starting to become far-fetched... We need more parking downtown!!!

F-Misthebest
Apr 2, 2007, 12:15 PM
I don't think the 4 county population will be 227,000, I think it will be closer to 218,000 considering we have 210,000 and there's three years left (with many big projects that will draw people fast) but in those three years we are not going to draw 17,000 people, at least I don't think so.

SmileyBoy
Apr 2, 2007, 1:35 PM
I don't think the 4 county population will be 227,000, I think it will be closer to 218,000 considering we have 210,000 and there's three years left (with many big projects that will draw people fast) but in those three years we are not going to draw 17,000 people, at least I don't think so.

Well, if you figure that the metro area (2-county) grew by 22,000 or so from 1990 to 2000, and the fact that metro-wide growth is picking up, you'd think that more than 22,000 would be gained from 2000 to 2010. Let's say 25,000 or so. Then you have 200,000 or so for Cass/Clay. Then add 22-23,000 for Richland and Wilkin to make 223,000 or so, then I suppose I'll have to meet you somwhere in the middle.:D

F-Misthebest
Apr 4, 2007, 5:18 AM
Delta to add flight
Forum staff reports, The Forum
Published Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Delta Air Lines is adding a second daily nonstop flight between Fargo and Salt Lake City, effective June 7.

The additional flight is expected to continue through the summer and possibly longer, said Shawn Dobberstein, executive director of the Fargo Municipal Airport Authority.

Delta Connection carrier SkyWest Airlines will provide the two daily flights using the 50-seat CRJ200.

The expanded schedule is:


- Flight 3757 departs Fargo at 6:20 a.m. and arrives at Salt Lake City at 7:45 a.m.

- Flight 3990 departs Salt Lake City at 1:30 p.m. and arrives at Fargo at 4:40 p.m.

- Flight 3991 departs Fargo at 5:05 p.m. and arrives at Salt Lake City at 6:30 p.m.

- Flight 3756 departs Salt Lake City at 7:35 p.m. and arrives at Fargo at 10:45 p.m.


Delta Air Lines began serving Fargo on June 8, 2006, providing two daily round-trip flights between the two cities. The airline later dropped to one daily round-trip flight.

Through its Salt Lake City hub, Delta serves 111 destinations

F-Misthebest
Apr 4, 2007, 5:20 AM
City Council accepts deal for Wal-Mart
By J. Shane Mercer, The Forum
Published Wednesday, April 04, 2007

The Dilworth City Council has accepted a developer’s agreement that it hopes will remove the last major obstacle to bringing a Wal-Mart Supercenter to town.

The council made the move at a special meeting Tuesday. The agreement stipulates what obligations the city and Wal-Mart have in regard to the proposed 225,000-square-foot facility.

The agreement requires the city to build a new 1,150-foot road and install the necessary street lights. The new street would be Eighth Avenue Northeast. Dilworth will also extend sewer and water to the area, build a pond to retain run-off and put in a multipurpose trail.

Construction associated with the new Wal-Mart would cost the city about $1.2 million, Dilworth City Administrator Ken Parke said. These costs would be assessed to the public and to Wal-Mart.

For its part, Wal-Mart would pay for improvements to 34th Street North, including turning lanes, street lights, traffic signals, sidewalks, and storm sewer and water main extension. Parke said Wal-Mart will review bids for the work this week.

The City Council added a few caveats to its acceptance of the agreement. The primary issue was a desire for clarification on some language to make certain the city was not limited in assessing the store for future city projects.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a big issue,” Parke said.

There was also some concern that the timetable for obtaining signed easements could be too restrictive.

Wal-Mart would also have to sign off on the terms of the agreement for it to take effect.

Efforts to contact Wal-Mart for comment were unsuccessful, but Parke said the retailer wants to have the building constructed by December.

Mayor Keith Coalwell said the new Wal-Mart, which will be in the northwest part of Dilworth, would be identical to the Supercenter in Alexandria, Minn.

There is now a Wal-Mart in Dilworth, but the new facility would bring an “expansion of services to the citizens of Dilworth,” Coalwell said.

The new facility also means additional tax dollars for the city, he said. And “when

Wal-Mart comes to town, it doesn’t come by itself.”

Coalwell’s hope is that other businesses and restaurants will come in as a result of the Supercenter.

Dilworth has annexed

80 acres to the north of the proposed Wal-Mart for potential development. Half of the land is zoned for commercial use.

“Wal-Mart’s been a really good fit” for the city, Coalwell said. Its presence hasn’t hurt other businesses in Dilworth, he said, and the corporate giant provides grants to the local police and fire forces.

“We’re very excited about their building a Supercenter in the city of Dilworth,” Parke said. The city sees it as very positive “for the community and the surrounding area.”


Readers can reach Forum reporter

Shane Mercer at (701) 451-5734

F-Misthebest
Apr 4, 2007, 5:22 AM
Pita chains find market in Fargo-Moorhead area
Melinda Rogers, The Forum
Published Wednesday, April 04, 2007

While Fargo restaurants Santa Lucia and Aladdin’s Café brought Greek food to the region, other local business owners are cashing in on the healthy appeal of cuisine rooted in the Middle East and Mediterranean: pitas.

The Pita Pit and Extreme Pita – national chains that aim to offer healthy “fast” food – are finding an audience among Fargo-Moorhead restaurant goers.

The Pita Pit opened in July 2005 at 4900 13th Ave. S. in Fargo. The restaurant will open a second location at 206 Broadway in late April or early May and is scouting for a third spot in the metro area, owner Ryan Jensen said.

Extreme Pita opened its first store in April 2006 at 5050 13th Avenue S. in Fargo and followed with a second location at the Osgood shopping mall at 4265 45th St. S.

Owner Troy Thomson will open a third store on Thursday at 2424 13th Ave. S.Jensen and Thomson said it took awhile for Fargo-Moorhead residents to warm to the concept of pitas, but both stores now enjoy a steady customer base.

“Up here, nobody knew what pitas were. We’re Norwegian. People said “Pitas … what?” Thomson said.

Jensen discovered the Pita Pit chain, which started in Canada and has U.S. headquarters in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, while attending college at the University of Idaho.

He and his parents collaborated on opening a Fargo franchise when he returned to the area after college.

“The first few months we had to really explain what a pita was,” said Jensen, who plans a grand opening and customer appreciation celebration for the Pita Pit’s Broadway location.

While hummus and tzatziki can be found on both restaurants’ menus, ethnic flavors aren’t the only thing offered. Each sell wraps with an American flair.

Extreme Pita, for example, offers a turkey, ham and Swiss pita. Customers can find a chicken Caesar and BLT pits at the Pita Pit, as well as a selection of soups and salads.

Patrons wait while ingredients are grilled fresh. Prices range from $4 to $6 for pitas at both restaurants and each offer catering services.

The restaurants are responding to a desire for healthier restaurant options, said Judy Whittlesey, membership/marketing coordinator for the Fargo-Moorhead YMCA.

Whittlesey worked with Thomson on a “healthy challenge” at the YMCA, where four people ate pitas over six weeks.

Participants ate certain meals at Extreme Pita for one meal each day and followed an exercise plan. The experiment resulted in weight loss for most, Whittlesey said.

Thomson, who found Canada-based Extreme Pita during trips to Winnipeg, said there’s an increasing market for healthy “fast food” chains like his restaurant and the Pita Pit.

Extreme Pita’s newest store will seat 34 and is the second among the company’s nationwide franchises to unveil a new store design, he said.

“We wanted to bring something that’s a healthy concept to the area,” Thomson said.

“There’s always room to grow for something healthy.”


Readers can reach Forum reporter

Melinda Rogers at (701) 241-5524

F-Misthebest
Apr 4, 2007, 5:29 AM
It's all greek to me
Melinda Rogers, The Forum
Published Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Maria Wilson followed a Greek philosophy when scouting a new location for her family-owned Santa Lucia restaurant.

“There’s a Greek saying: ‘You’ve got to be on your own donkey, otherwise you get thrown off,’ ” said Wilson,

co-owner of Fargo-Moorhead’s longtime Greek and Italian restaurant.

“We wanted our own building.”

Wilson, her husband, Geoff, and brother Alex Simeonidis recently finished building a new home for Santa Lucia at 1109 38th St. S. in Fargo.

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/1574/santaluciavd0.jpg
http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/7374/santaluciaaxd0.jpg
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/5540/santaluciabwe6.jpg


Changes at the 16-year-old restaurant are broader than the Wilsons’ switch from building leasers to owners.

The $1 million project brings new menu items, a revamped dining room and a more visible location near Fargo’s bustling 13th Avenue corridor.

Increased seating capacity at the restaurant’s new location should decrease wait time for customers on busy evenings, Wilson said. Santa Lucia’s dining room has 35 extra seats with room for 130.

“People who come to our restaurant expect more because we’re local,” Wilson said. “They expect more than what they’d expect at a chain. They don’t want to wait in line.”

The restaurant added a few menu items – such as seafood lasagna and a house wine – to complement signature dishes like moussaka (stacked potatoes, eggplant and seasoned beef with a creamy sauce) and saganaki (a fried cheese appetizer).

The latter is flambéed at a customer’s table complete with an enthusiastic “Opa!” from servers.

Prices range from appetizers at $6.95 to entrees ranging from $10 to $20.

Customers will dine in an area adorned with Greek and Roman columns with the latest European pop music playing overhead. The Wilsons said the restaurant’s design aims to fuse contemporary architecture with that of the old country.

Santa Lucia opened in 1990 at 3113 13th Ave. S. in a building that eventually became a Wendy’s restaurant. After a year, the Wilsons moved the business to 505 40th St. S.

The business has expanded to catering events and weddings. Geoff Wilson and Simeonidis also travel to about 80 festivals around the country selling Santa Lucia’s food.

Geoff Wilson said he was initially skeptical about how Greek food would go over with North Dakota’s meat-and-potato crowd.

But homespun recipes originating from Maria’s parents, who opened the family’s first Greek restaurant in Manitoba in 1966, earned a following in the Red River Valley.

The family’s operation has nabbed a loyal customer base.

Keith Miller of Moorhead said he visits the restaurant at least once a week to get a fix of Greek spices and eclectic dishes. Santa Lucia is a favorite spot to bring family, friends and clients, he said.

In addition to Santa Lucia’s unique cuisine, Miller appreciates the staff’s knowledge of food and wine.

“One of my gripes is I get ‘you guys’ from waitresses or waiters all the time,” said Miller.

“You’re never going to get a ‘you guys’ out of Maria’s staff. They’re more professional.”

The Wilsons say they’re just starting to grab hold of a growing market for Greek cuisine.

The 2004 Olympic Games in Athens shed light on the healthy aspects of Greek cooking, which relies heavily on lemon, garlic, oregano and olive oil, Maria Wilson said.

“Greek food is just starting to become huge,” said Wilson, who plans to travel to Athens this summer to learn the latest cooking techniques from the country.

“In a lot of ways Greek cooking is like being an artist. You can’t create the same dish twice.”


Santa Lucia

Location: 1109 38th St. S.,

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Phone: (701) 281-8656

Web: www.santaluciainc.com


The Pita Pit

For menus, nutrition:

www.pitapitusa.com/Stores/Default.aspx?StateID=35

Fargo locations:

4900 13th Ave. S.

206 Broadway (opening in late April or early May)

Phone: (701) 356-7482

Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.


Extreme Pita

For menus, nutrition: www.extremepita.com/locations/north-dakota.php

Fargo locations:

5050 13th Ave. S.

4265 45th St. S.

2424 13th Ave. S. (opening Thursday)

Phone: (701) 277-8100

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.


Readers can reach Forum reporter

Melinda Rogers at (701) 241-5524

SmileyBoy
Apr 4, 2007, 10:34 PM
Awesome stories there, F-M!!!

If I'm ever in a Gyro mood, I can go over to Santa Lucia now.:D

I just wish there was some decent Turkish cuisine in this city. I'm Turkish, and my father is a Turkish Immigrant from Kocaeli, Turkey, and his old friend from Trabzon, Turkey owns a place in St. Paul, MN called "The Black Sea". BEST Turkish cuisine in Minnesota. My father is a great cook himself, and I told him that if he ever wanted to move back to Fargo from Mpls. to live with me, he could open up a little Turkish restaurant here.:)

I think the next phase is for Fargo to get a good teriyaki house (like Ichiban or Benihana) and another dcent Indian place. I just found out about a good Thai place in Moorhead, so I gotta check that out.

NanoBison
Apr 5, 2007, 4:25 AM
Additional Airlines Services Hopefully Coming to Fargo... talks of Atlanta, Cincinnati, or both!!! Big bill and effort by the people of Fargo to make this happen though... but it's worth it in the long run!

Consultant works on more Delta service for Fargo (http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=161756)
Jon Knutson, The Forum
Published Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Fargo could gain air service to Atlanta and Cincinnati – but only if enough people fly Delta Air Lines between Fargo and Salt Lake City this summer...

Hector announced earlier this week that Delta, which began service between Fargo and Salt Lake City on June 6, 2006, will launch a second daily round-trip flight between the cities on June 7.

Delta wants to see at least 75 to 80 passengers flying between the two cities daily, Sixel said.

Reaching that number could persuade Delta to add Atlanta and Cincinnati service...

read more... (http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=161756)


My Opinion On The Matter

I'm not sure exactly what the passenger amount is daily, but if you look at the figures for the month of February, according to the Hector Airport website, there was an average of 1,775 people arriving and departing from the airport each day. It also states that Delta had ~4% of the market share, so I think it would be safe to assume that Delta had roughly 71 people flying in and out of Fargo/Salt Lake City each day. So I don't think we are that far off from from reach the goal of 75-80 people a day flying between the cities. Having a second time for a flight option will obviously help boost those numbers as well.

At this point I think the City of Fargo, and Airport Authority should provide some advertising dollars (it wouldn't take much) to convince people to take Delta for service out west. I don't want to hamper on United, but if it takes 5-10 people a day from their Denver routes, thats fine. It would be more than worth it to get the direct flights to Atlanta and Cincinnati. You'd be surprised how many people fly through Northwest to get to every city on the East Coast from Fargo. Actually, no you wouldn't be surprised.

Here's the latest breakdown of the most popular destinations, at this point in time for people flying out of Fargo :

(Notes)
*1 Destination Easily Reachable By Expanded Delta Service
*2 Destination Easily Reachable By Possible Cincinnati Delta Service
*3 Destination Easily Reachable By Possible Atlanta Service
*4 Destination That Allegiant SHOULD Pick Up
***All numbers in the last column are ESTIMATES using shoddy math :)


Final Destination Yearly Daily Most Likely Carrier
1 Las Vegas, NV 54,150 148 Allegiant
2 Denver, CO 35,290 97 United
3 Chicago, IL 31,500 86 United
4 Phoenix, AZ 29,910 82 *1
5 Minneapolis, MN 22,850 63 NWA
6 Seattle/Tacoma, WA 16,730 46 *1
7 Washington, DC 15,230 42 *2
8 New York, NY 13,200 36 *2
9 Dallas/Ft Worth, TX 12,210 34 NWA Possible *3
10 Orlando, FL 11,960 33 *4 Possible Allegiant???
or *3 Served By Delta/Atlanta
11 Los Angeles, CA 11,250 31 *1
12 Portland, OR 9,720 27 *1
13 San Diego, CA 9,530 26 *1
14 San Francisco, CA 9,180 25 *1
15 Atlanta, GA 8,390 23 *3 Possible New Direct Delta Route
16 Salt Lake City, UT 6,720 18 *** Current Direct Delta Route
17 Houston, TX 6,440 18 NWA
18 St Louis, MO 6,420 18 NWA
19 Kansas City, MO 6,400 18 NWA
20 Orange County, CA 6,350 17 *1
21 Sacramento, CA 6,230 17 *1
22 Boston, MA 5,900 16 *2
23 Detroit, MI 5,790 16 NWA
24 Indianapolis, IN 4,990 14 *2
25 Philadelphia, PA 4,900 13 *2
26 San Antonio, TX 4,890 13 NWA
55 Cincinnati, OH 2,250 6 *2 Possible New Direct Delta Route


The entire list can be found in the Sixel Traffic Report (http://www.fargoairport.com/FAR063.pdf)

There's oddles of other East Coast cities that get 5-13 passengers a day that Delta could easily absorb if the pricing was competitive. I don't think they would have to necessarily worry about people being picky about having to make one stop. People in Fargo are pretty use to that, unless you're flying to the 5 major stops. The additional routes would put some real pressure on NWA as well, to lower ticket prices. They might even open up additional direct flights like to their hubs in Memphis or Detroit. I'd rather just see them coming out of Minneapolis for now though.

I also made the comment in the list above, that Allegiant should pick up the route to Orlando. They did that for Sioux Falls, and it's been very good for them. It's already the in the #10 spot for Fargo travelers, and with the aging population, I only see it continuing to grow. The other comment would be that, once you introduce a new direct link somewhere popular, and keep the prices reasonable, like they do with Allegiant, the traffic just explodes. Here's what happened with the Las Vegas route :


2004 2005 2006
1 Las Vegas, NV 17,590 20,370 54,150
75.5% Increase from 2004-2005
165.8% Increase from 2005-2006


I'd imagine the same thing would happen for Orlando if Allegiant opened a direct flight there.


Anyways, final thoughts are, if you have relatives, family, or friends flying between Fargo and any Western cities, urge them to fly on Delta so we can hopefully pick up these additional routes. Let's see some competition for NWA!!!

:banana: :tup: :yes:

SmileyBoy
Apr 5, 2007, 12:29 PM
Hey Nano, you seem to know a lot about the airport. Do you think Hector could see 700,000 passengers in a year by the end of the decade?? Or maybe in 2010??

F-Misthebest
Apr 5, 2007, 3:53 PM
Taco Shop is opening thier third location in the Liberty Square Stip Mall off of
45th Street.

NanoBison
Apr 5, 2007, 5:34 PM
Hey Nano, you seem to know a lot about the airport. Do you think Hector could see 700,000 passengers in a year by the end of the decade?? Or maybe in 2010??

Well, if we start by looking at the growth we had over the last year, we had 609,731 passengers. That's an increase of 11% from 2005's 549,209 passengers. I'm not sure if we'll be able to continue growth of 11% each year, but I would definitely go by the month-to-month changes. Right now we are seeing around 2.5% increase from last year in the first two months. Now, of course there could be some months where we start seeing spikes again. But I venture a guess that we won't see any decreases in monthly numbers.

Here's the growth over the next couple of years, we could be at :


2.5% 5.0% 7.5% 10.0%
2006 609,731 609,731 609,731 609,731
2007 624,974 640,218 655,461 670,704
2008 640,599 672,228 704,620 737,775
2009 656,614 705,840 757,467 811,552
2010 673029 741,132 814,277 892,707
2011 689,855 778,188 875,348 981,978
2012 707,101 817,098 940,999 1,080,176
2013 724,779 857,953 1,011,574 1,188,193
2014 742,898 900,850 1,087,442 1,307,013
2015 761,470 945,893 1,169,000 1,437,714


The safest bet, is to stick with a number between the 2.5% and 5.0% ranges. However I think the great growth could continue as long as new routes keep opening up and at the same time ticket prices continue to drop. If Allegiant were to pick up Orlando, for example, I'd see it ballooning like Las Vegas did.

But the point of the matter is simply like Sixel said in that we have an opportunity right now, and the FM area needs to take advantage of it. Thankfully, Sixel is also talking with many of the leaders of the larger businesses in the FM area. So hopefully this thing works out.

Only thing I see being a crutch in this process, is if G.F. is successful in convincing Frontier Airlines to setup shop at their airport. That might put a damper on the numbers. However, I'm not positively sure to what lengths that may be.

I've posted on every site I can think of, including SS.com, telling them to take advantage of this unique situation of opening up some routes out east for the entire region of Eastern North Dakota. I'm sure they would rather pay for a great ticket price when traveling out east and drive the 50 min trip to get to Hector than constantly have to depend on Northwest for every flight out to the part of the country.

Just keep telling everyone you know, if they are thinking of flying out west, try to use Delta. I'll even take a trip to the West Coast this summer for a Computing Confence in San Jose, so I'll take Delta.

In my opinion, 5% growth is very doable, 2.5% will happen naturally with population growth, to get the 7.5% and 10.0% growth, we are going to have to see the FM area continue to develop in terms of business and population. At this point we need to be hammering down the door of the Greater FMEDC to get their priorities set on attracting new large companies to town. Heck, we should have a fund setup to help lure businesses here. Imagine what a $50 million fund would be able to create?

NanoBison
Apr 6, 2007, 12:11 AM
Two more redevelopment projects planned near NDSU (http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=161829)
Mike Nowatzki, The Forum
Published Thursday, April 05, 2007

Jerry Feder wants to raze four of his rental properties along 17th Street and replace them with a three-story brick building with first-floor retail and 14 apartments on the upper floors.

University Motors owner Dell Arneson plans to redevelop his property at 1920 and 2002 12th Avenue North when the business relocates to south Fargo this summer. Two existing buildings will be replaced with up to 78 units of student housing, according to a letter to the City Commission from Mike Vipond, CEO of Dell Arneson Inc...

read more... (http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=161829)


Three projects in total for the 12 Ave stretch by NDSU. Once those projects are done and 12th Ave is widened and rebuilt, that is going to be a really nice area for students. Convenient to live too, being right next to campus. Hopefully this fuels more growth next to the campus, where it couldn't hurt, such as on University Drive. Some of those houses need to go.....

SmileyBoy
Apr 6, 2007, 1:07 AM
I was just gonna post that, Nano!!:cool:

Do I possibly see a "Campustown" in the future at NDSU??:banana: :banana: :banana:

They're already renovating the University Loaf-n-Jug, and they just got done redoing the Turf. And with three new residential/retail buildings springing up around campus, this is a great catalyst for even more campus growth.

SmileyBoy
Apr 6, 2007, 1:36 AM
Here's a pic of where the developments are:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/SmileyBoy/Campustown.jpg

1 is student housing only.
2 and 3 are mixed use housing/retail.

T Lot looks like it could be the future core of a Campustown.

F-Misthebest
Apr 6, 2007, 5:27 AM
Land near NDSU in demand
Mike Nowatzki, The Forum
Published Friday, April 06, 2007

Future upgrades to 12th Avenue North and a bustling North Dakota State University campus have property owners and developers taking a harder look at the best use for land along the corridor.

Three people have asked the city for tax increment financing (TIF) assistance to help them redevelop property along 12th Avenue North, just south and west of NDSU.

The latest request comes from Jerry Feder, who wants to raze four of his rental properties along 17th Street and replace them with a three-story brick building with first-floor retail and 14 apartments on the upper floors.

Feder estimates the properties’ improvements, now with an assessed value of $289,100, will reach a post-project value of more than $2.5 million.

University Motors owner Dell Arneson plans to redevelop his property at 1920 and 2002 12th Ave. N. when the business relocates to south Fargo this summer. Two existing buildings will be replaced with up to 78 units of student housing, according to a letter to the City Commission from Mike Vipond, CEO of Dell Arneson Inc.

The property, currently assessed at $258,800, will have a new value estimated at $3.7 million to $6.1 million, depending on the density and amenities, Vipond wrote.

Vipond and Arneson were unavailable for comment.

Feder said his decision to do something different with his four rental properties – ages 75 to 97 – was prompted by the North Dakota Department of Transportation’s scheduled reconstruction of 12th Avenue North from Interstate 29 to 10th Street in 2008.

“That got me thinking about the best use of my corner over the long run,” he said.

Roger Gilbertson, president of FM City Development LLC, also plans to demolish rental houses at 1414 and 1420 12th Ave. N. to make room for a three-story brick building with 9,100 square feet of main-floor retail space and 14 three-bedroom apartments on the upper floors. The west half of the block also will be redeveloped in the future, he said.

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/341/0406nfargodevsb0.jpg


Keith Bjerke, NDSU’s vice president for university relations, said the school supports cleaning up the corridor and adding apartments, eateries and retail shops near campus.

“We have a tremendous shortage of housing near campus. A lot of students are in apartments all over town, which is a good thing, but it’s also good to have some within walking distance,” he said.

Fargo Planning Director Jim Gilmour said housing for students near campus has multiple benefits: It cuts down on traffic congestion, conserves energy and makes it less likely that students will move into converted single-family homes in established residential neighborhoods.

All three developers have requested TIF assistance from the city. Vipond asked for $700,000, Feder for $375,000 and Gilbertson for $750,000, although that amount will probably be closer to $600,000, Gilmour said.

The financing tool would likely be a TIF note, which gets paid back with the additional property tax revenue generated when the project is completed, Gilmour said.

In December, city commissioners approved a $1.4 million TIF note for Jim Roers’ project at the northeast corner of 19th Avenue North and University Drive. He plans to raze six buildings and replace them with a four-story retail, office and apartment complex, plus a gas station, with a projected value of $7.5 million.

The City Commission will hear the proposals by Vipond and Feder Monday. A hearing on Gilbertson’s request has been postponed to April 23.


Readers can reach Forum reporter Mike Nowatzki at (701) 241-5528

NanoBison
Apr 6, 2007, 6:12 PM
June target for Moorhead condo project groundbreaking (http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=161906)
J. Shane Mercer, The Forum
Published Friday, April 06, 2007

The developer of a proposed residential complex in downtown Moorhead hopes to break ground on the $7.5 million of condominiums by June of this year.

This construction is the final step in a six-phase project to revitalize sections of downtown Moorhead...

read more... (http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=161906)

They not only will have views of the river, but also of downtown Fargo. They should be quite nice when done. It will also help add to the population density of the downtown area.

:banana:

F-Misthebest
Apr 6, 2007, 6:20 PM
That's really cool. I was driving down 45th Street today and the Medical building is looking toward completion. The two senior citizen villages across the street from each other are looking good and State Bank and Trust is building just south of the Shoppes at Osgood.

SmileyBoy
Apr 7, 2007, 5:13 AM
That's really cool. I was driving down 45th Street today and the Medical building is looking toward completion. The two senior citizen villages across the street from each other are looking good and State Bank and Trust is building just south of the Shoppes at Osgood.

Urban Plains will start kicking off in a big way this summer. Taco Bell, the new condos, and the new hockey complex will all start construction very soon. Two retail strip malls will also start very soon. I can't WAIT for that thing to take shape!!!

SmileyBoy
Apr 7, 2007, 5:21 AM
Here's a construction pic of Phase 1 of the Hector Int'l Airport Terminal expansion:

http://www.fargoairport.com/IMG_5500%20(Medium).JPG

More pics at fargoairport.com.

F-Misthebest
Apr 7, 2007, 3:13 PM
High-end condos set along Red
By J. Shane Mercer, The Forum
Published Saturday, April 07, 2007

The designer and builder of a planned residential complex in downtown Moorhead hopes to break ground on the $7.5 million condominium project by June.

The complex of “fairly high-end” condos will be along the river south of Main Street and just past the bridge, said Kevin Bartram, president and owner of MBA Architects.

The Fargo-based architecture firm is designing and building the structure, dubbed Riverfront Condominiums.

Bartram’s Sterling Development Group will market the condos. Pricier units are expected to cost $500,000, with other units to cost $150,000 to $200,000. The units range from 900 to 2,400 square feet. Of the 22 units, 17 will have a view of the river, Bartram said.

The structure will be primarily brick – likely dark red – on the outside, with large balconies and windows.

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/8330/040720moorhead20condos2uw4.jpg

Bartram said some of the units will probably be ready in eight to nine months. All units are expected to be ready in a year.

He said the condominiums shouldn’t be affected by Red River flooding. The building would not have been touched by the 1997 flood.

Construction of the condos is the final step in a multiple-phase project to revitalize sections of downtown Moorhead.

Revitalization kicked off in July 2004 and has resulted in the development of more than 100 residential units and commercial space in downtown Moorhead.

“Housing, in general, and condos, in particular, are a big deal” in Fargo-Moorhead, Moorhead City Manager Bruce Messelt said.

He said housing is necessary if the downtown area is to be “vibrant and healthy.”

The renewed interest in the metro-area downtown follows a “national trend,” Bartram said. He said that for some time Fargo and Moorhead turned their backs on the river, but said the trend has been reversed and the cities are gravitating toward what he says is one of the more attractive parts of downtown.

Moorhead officials are pleased with results of the revitalization project.

Peter Doll, Moorhead manager of development services, expects the value of the properties to increase by more than $20 million over their pre-development value. He believes the city will have spent from $600,000 to $1 million for the renovation.

“This is a project that basically has gone off without a hitch,” Messelt said. It “is the perfect downtown development project,” he said.

City leaders say there are spin-off effects from the downtown renovation, noting the new Walgreen’s building in the downtown area.

And there is hope that this will be a “touchstone” for more development, Messelt said.

“I think our appetite has not been satisfied” when it comes to these types of projects, he said.

There are several possibilities for future projects. One is the power plant site on Elm Street just south of Woodlawn Park. The state Department of Employment and Economic Development recently awarded the city $1.4 million to clean up and redevelop the site.


Readers can reach Forum reporter

Shane Mercer at (701) 451-5734

NanoBison
Apr 7, 2007, 9:22 PM
There are several possibilities for future projects. One is the power plant site on Elm Street just south of Woodlawn Park. The state Department of Employment and Economic Development recently awarded the city $1.4 million to clean up and redevelop the site.

I told you guys that area over by the old power plant was soon to become some of the most sought after real-estate in the downtown area. I hope the build some nice condos along that side of the river. A tower or two would be nice as well, since it's also surrounded by a park.

:tup:

F-Misthebest
Apr 8, 2007, 3:05 PM
Happy Easter.

NanoBison
Apr 9, 2007, 9:58 PM
I just drove by the corner of 19th Ave N and University. They have equipment demolishing several buildings and plowing land for what I would assume is Roer's proposed development for that area.

I would advise everyone keep their eyes open. This is the time of year when projects usually startup.

:tup:

F-Misthebest
Apr 9, 2007, 10:14 PM
That's good news. the flowers come up, the tree's come up, and the buildings come up.

NanoBison
Apr 10, 2007, 1:26 AM
I was at the website for Hector International Airport and I came about a "Air Service Update" link. If you click on it, it states that not only is Hector International attempting to gain additional routes to Atlanta and Cincinnati through Delta airlines, but it appears we are one of the cities that is trying to lure Frontier Airlines here to provide direct flights to Denver. According to Sixel, we aren't that far off from meeting our numbers to getting the additional service from Delta, which is good.

I was disappointed with how they are advertising it, due to the fact that you can barely notice the link. I went ahead and made up a new link for them and told them to go ahead and use it if they'd want to. Here's what I proposed :

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/4219/fargoairportwebsitesmalnu6.jpg

Hopefully they change it so it's more noticeable.

Finally, if you get the chance tell EVERYONE you know to go sign up on both pages so they can judge the support of bring both airlines to town!

I can just imagine how low ticket prices will go down once the increased competition is present.

F-Misthebest
Apr 10, 2007, 4:59 AM
I noticed that the website got rid of the "Master Plan" page which bums me out.

NanoBison
Apr 10, 2007, 7:30 AM
Actually, they just did some reshuffling, but not a very good job of it...
If you go under Administration, you can find it there. Or here is the direct link :

http://www.fargoairport.com/masterplan.html

F-Misthebest
Apr 11, 2007, 10:38 PM
$7.3M development project planned on north BroadwayMike Nowatzki, The Forum
Published Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Two vacant restaurant buildings in north Fargo will be razed to make way for a $7.3 million building project.

The development, called Meridian on Broadway, will consist of a four-story, L-shaped building with 38 condo units, 1,200 square feet of commercial space and underground parking.

The Fargo Planning Commission today approved a conditional use permit to allow residential use on the property at the southwest corner of Broadway and 29th Avenue North.

The site – roughly a quarter of a city block – also will be extensively landscaped, said Michael Domitrovich of City View, the planning and design firm working on the project for developers Joshua Brekke and William T. Forbes.

“We’re trying to really kind of make the north side alive and introduce something new,” Domitrovich said.

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/7812/meridian20broadwayel1.jpg

The two existing buildings on the property have been home to a number of restaurants over the years, including Broadway Junction and Taco John’s.

Fargo Planning Director Jim Gilmour said the developers have requested tax increment financing to help finance the project.

Readers can reach Forum reporter

Mike Nowatzki at (701) 241-5528

SmileyBoy
Apr 11, 2007, 10:39 PM
DAMMIT, you BEAT ME!!! I was JUST gonna post that!!!

sodak
Apr 11, 2007, 10:41 PM
That is a great looking project. I don't know all that much about Fargo, but from what I've read, its in a great location to spark some revitalization too.

NanoBison
Apr 12, 2007, 1:17 AM
Hey guys,

Today I had a nice little chat over the phone with the Hector International Airport director. I had initially sent him two emails asking a bunch of questions about the future expansion in air service. He said he'd be more than happy to talk with me, so I called him up.

Here's what I've learned concerning these topics :

Delta Service
While Delta has just announced the addition of another flight to Salt Lake City (for those connecting to the west coast), they are also considering the addition of Atlanta and Cincinnati. However they have to be convinced that it would work at Hector International. At this point, I asked how far away are we from reaching the goals of adding those two new hubs. He said, basically, all we would need to see is the addition of at least 7 more passengers flying on Delta everyday. He said the large businesses in town are behind the airport 100% and are trying to make this work, because they would like to see the addition of routes and of course lower ticket prices.

If service opens up out East, you can also probably expect NWA to try an hold it's turf in Fargo as well. We might even get flights open to Detroit (their other big hub).

Odds of it happening : Very good. As long as the population shows there is a need.

Frontier Airlines
I asked what exactly the plans are on Frontier. He first started off by stating that the Airport has NEVER had to beg or inquire into getting new service. Everything you've seen happen at the airport thus far, has been because the airlines have come to the Airport for requests. Which in my opinion, is a good position to be, considering Grand Forks and Minot are not in that position. They have to actively look for new service.

He said Frontier has always wanted to come back to North Dakota because they believe they can make money here on decent routes. The way they plan on doing it, is by offering Turboprop service to select cities that would fly into their hub at Denver. I expressed that many people would probably be turned away by turboprop service. He assured me though, that the planes they are introducing on these routes would be the brand new Q400 aircraft. Apparently if you fly on the plane, you won't be able to tell if it's a jet or turboprop based aircraft. They are that quite. That's a relief, because I know many people comment on how loud and annoying turboprops are.

I also asked, what will happen if Grand Forks acquires the service. How much would it damper Fargo's boarding numbers since many people drive from G.F. to fly out of Hector. He said initially yes it would probably affect the numbers, but we would still expect United to at least provide service because the Fargo traffic alone can support it. What Grand Forks has to be cautioned about is if they do get Frontier, you can be assured that NWA will defend their turf. In essence they may go into a price war and try to bleed them to death where it would be hard to justify continuing service. The other thing was, they know that people ARE ALREADY willing to drive to Hector to fly.

Odds of it happening : Decent. Frontier thinks it can capture a decent share of the market flying out west and still make money on the turboprop planes which are 25% cheaper to operate. If it does, look for immediate 30% reduction in ticket prices out to the west through Denver.

Allegiant Airlines
I asked why it is that Sioux Falls has service to Orlando and Tampa Bay and Hector doesn't. I also told him that Orlando is already number 10 on the top destinations for people flying out of Hector. He said that initially, when Allegiant was going to make the big announcements (when they announced Las Vegas service), they pulled out 48 hours before doing so, because the aircraft they had ordered for the routes was not finished or available. He said at this time, they are still considering it, but it will probably be a few months before it shows up (until plane orders and maintenance issues are resolved).

Odds of it happening : Pretty good. Just takes some time.

Other Comments
Like I said, the Director stated that Airlines are constantly looking in setting up service at Hector. We have the population and business base that they want to serve (Microsoft, NDSU, MSUM, Research Park, CaseIH, Bobcat, Alien, RDO, etc...). He couldn't specifically comment on any specific airlines that he is currently dealing with, but he did mention, in addition to Allegiant, Delta, and Frontier, he is in talks with at least 3-4 other airlines for possible service.

Point of the matter is : We have an excellent opportunity for outstanding air service and expansion. We need to take advantage of it NOW. So people, if you know any flying tell them to sign up through Delta... and let's get some more connections. Tell everyone you know to go sign up at the two websites for Delta and Frontier frequent flyer programs so they can gauge interest.

If you ever see that a Delta flight is more expensive than a United or NWA flight ticket price, LET THEM KNOW, so they can inform Delta Airlines.

F-Misthebest
Apr 13, 2007, 4:45 AM
http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/9057/broadwaychurchig8.jpg
I found this gem on the city of Fargo webpage. Check it out! They have some good stuff. http://media.cityoffargo.com:8080/photos/

http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/2883/arialkm0.jpg
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/6412/dmhduy5.jpg
This is some of the development going up in downtown Moorhead. I don't think anyone else has posted these yet so I thought I would. It's some pretty nice stuff, especially for Moorhead.:tup:

F-Misthebest
Apr 13, 2007, 5:20 AM
The Fargo based Scheel's will be opening yet another store in America. This time in Reno, Nevada. This is what it will look like:
http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/3851/sparksmx1.jpg

F-Misthebest
Apr 13, 2007, 10:12 PM
In West Fargo, just south of the Eagle Run Plaza is yet another strip mall called Riverside something or another. And to the north of Eagle Run Plaza is yet another strip mall called something that I don't remember. Both of the pictures for the plans look nice though.

F-Misthebest
Apr 14, 2007, 3:26 PM
Duo has depot on to-do list
Mike Nowatzki and Jonathan Knutson, The Forum
Published Saturday, April 14, 2007

A downtown Fargo landmark that has been home to several failed restaurants in recent years would get new life under a plan proposed by the owners of Fargo’s Island Park Cycles.

Tom and Kari Smith plan to buy the Great Northern Depot and relocate their bike shop to the 100-year-old building.

They’re also working with the Fargo Park Board and Downtown Community Partnership to establish a half-acre public park – including an outdoor ice skating rink – just west of the depot.

The plans will be presented to the city’s Renaissance Zone Authority on Monday.

The depot at 425 Broadway has been occupied only 54 months of the past 11 years, Tom Smith wrote in his Renaissance Zone application for five-year state income and property tax exemptions.

http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/680/thedepotfutureuy1.jpg

Most recently, the depot hosted the Great Northern Restaurant & Brewery, which closed in October 2005.

The Smiths, doing business as K&T Property Management, plan to remove the glass curtain walls from the west end of the depot and restore its historically accurate entrance, according to the application.

Tom Smith declined to say much about the project until after Monday’s meeting.

He described the depot as “a fantastic downtown facility” and said he and his wife “have always been suckers for old buildings.”

Island Park Cycles has been interested in bigger digs for several years and in the Great Northern Depot specifically for about six months, he said.

The location would provide Island Park Cycles, now at 101 8th St. S., with about twice as much space, he said.

The depot, valued at $1,282,800, is owned by Minot, N.D.-based Magic City Financial Group Ltd. Partnership. The Smiths’ application indicates they would make $335,000 in improvements to the property, including the potential Park District investment.

The Smiths are scheduled to close on the building July 16 and intend to have it ready for the bike shop by spring 2008, according to the application.

The 12,780-square-foot depot would be used predominantly for retail and the Smiths would like to include a small sandwich/coffee shop, as well, their application states.

Fargo Senior Planner Bob Stein gave the proposal a positive review, saying it would increase activity in the downtown area, make it more likely that the depot will remain occupied and enhance downtown with green space.

The depot project and the proposed revamping of two additional downtown buildings will be a boon for Fargo’s downtown, Stein said Friday.

Kilbourne Group LLC will ask the Zone Authority on Monday for incentives to rehab the Smith, Follett & Crowl building at 309 Roberts St., formerly home to Knights Formal Wear. The building will support retail or office use on the first floor and 18 to 21 apartment units on the three upper floors.

Kilbourne Group also proposes to invest more than $1.3 million into the building at 102 Broadway, which sits just west of the Hotel Donaldson and was home to Straus Clothing from 1957 to 1997.

According to the Renaissance Zone application, the plans call for updating the windows, awnings and storefront. Retail will occupy the first floor, with commercial office space on the second.

“Just getting life back there on that corner in that storefront is going to be huge,” Stein said.

Readers can reach Forum reporter


Mike Nowatzki at (701) 241-5528 and Jonathan Knutson at (701) 241-5530

NanoBison
Apr 14, 2007, 4:58 PM
It's also good to see that a local group of people are taking control of the Great Northern Depot building. Having it owned by a company in Minot, ND has done nothing for the downtown area. Hopefully these folks can make it work. With the money they are dishing out for it, it sounds like they won't have any problems doing so either. What would be really interesting, is if the plans to completely remove the north tracks going through downtown and have everything go on the Main Avenue lines, would mean Amtrak's building would likely move. Hence that space could also be used for additional park area. Finally, with the plans detailed out in the Master Framework for downtown, that whole stretch of railroad track, will be converted into parkland, connecting NDSU with downtown Fargo and Moorhead. Nice. Simply Nice.


Also good to see in that news is the Kilbourne Group is investing an additional ~ $3 million into two other buildings downtown. That little intersection where the HoDo is, should turn into a fairly busy spot downtown.

:cool:

SmileyBoy
Apr 15, 2007, 4:28 AM
There's an office building on the SE corner of 42nd Street and 32nd Ave. South that's going to be home of Cass County Electric and IdeaOne Telecom. Anyone have anymorte info in it?? They wree digging the hole for months (extra-long caissons??), and for that reason, I've been hoping for it to be a multi-story building. There's only 2 floors of framing up, and I'm afraid it's only gonna be 2 floors. Anyone have anymore info on this building??

SmileyBoy
Apr 15, 2007, 4:29 AM
In West Fargo, just south of the Eagle Run Plaza is yet another strip mall called Riverside something or another. And to the north of Eagle Run Plaza is yet another strip mall called something that I don't remember. Both of the pictures for the plans look nice though.

You're thinking of Riverbend Plaza.

I don't know what the strip mall north of there will be, though.

F-Misthebest
Apr 16, 2007, 3:55 AM
Low cost of living attracts
Melinda Rogers, The Forum
Published Sunday, April 15, 2007

Cities such as Fargo, Moorhead, Dilworth, West Fargo and Horace, N.D., each have their charms to sway people deciding which Red River Valley community to call home.

But when it comes to attracting people from across the country, the region together has some pull.

Several amenities and a low cost of living make the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Statistical Area competitive with other cities of similar demographics, said David Martin, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Fargo Moorhead.

“We compare very favorably with our competitor communities in the region,” Martin said. “I think you get an awful lot of bang for the dollars people do spend here when it comes to housing, health care and other things.”

Proof of that is found in a cost-of-living index compiled by the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association. The Arlington, Va.-based nonprofit publishes the index quarterly.

The study, which examines price levels for consumer goods and services in communities across the country, listed Fargo-Moorhead’s cost-of-living index at 5.1 percent below the national average.

Low cost of living

Numbers are compiled by adding up variables such as the price per pound of a T-bone steak, the cost of a Kleenex brand box of tissues, monthly rent, gasoline costs, a visit to the doctor and even the price of a can of tennis balls.

The study gave Fargo-Moorhead an index of 94.9. The study’s “average” cost of living for 274 urban areas studied was established at 100.

The indexes are designed to measure after-taxes differences in living costs. Taxes aren’t included in the comparisons.

New York’s standard of living was more than twice the national cost-of-living average, ACCRA’s latest 2006 study found. Manhattan received a 214.7 index from the organization.

Joplin, Mo., boasted the lowest cost-of-living index, ranking 18 percent below the national average.

The Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development Corp. and the Chamber of Commerce of Fargo Moorhead use that information to compare how the metro area measures up with regional competitors such as Omaha, Neb., and Des Moines, Iowa.

Those cities are slightly ahead of Fargo-Moorhead in the cost-of-living race, earning index rankings of 88.8 and 89.4, respectively.

Rochester and St. Cloud, Minn., are behind Fargo-Moorhead, weighing in at 96 and 99 on the organization’s cost-of-living scale.

‘We need to shine’

Two of the region’s main competitors – the Twin Cities and Sioux Falls, S.D. – didn’t participate in ACCRA’s most recent study, said Tifanie Gelinske, a workforce recruitment coordinator for the Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development Corp.

Martin said the chamber uses the data to keep tabs on its neighbors and to figure out what Fargo-Moorhead does well and where the region can improve.

“As we look at our competitor communities, we realize it’s a global economy and a global marketplace, and we need to shine,” Martin said.

“As we compete with companies to expand or relocate here, we ask ourselves if we have the sorts of amenities they’re looking for.”

Fargo-Moorhead’s affordable housing is an asset in attracting residents, he said.

The region’s selection of amenities – arts, entertainment, sports and dining – are also a step ahead of communities of similar size, he said.

“People are often amazed to find out we have a community theater, an opera company and an orchestra,” Martin said.

“Communities our size might have one of those things, and we have several. They may have one college, and we have four. They may have one parks and recreation (department), and we have four of them.”

The area’s K-12 education system, selection of higher education institutions, low crime rate and solid health-care system are also draws, Martin said.

Inexpensive F-M

Those are some of the reasons Saravana “Sam” Rangaswamy decided to set up his information technology business in Fargo.

Rangaswamy chose Fargo over South Dakota, Montana and Nebraska in 2004 for his Sunnyvale, Calif., software consulting firm infoNERO.

Rangaswamy found Fargo’s offerings such as an international airport, good hospitals and strong schools appealing. Microsoft’s Fargo campus made the idea of establishing a high-tech business on the tundra less threatening, he said.

Rangaswamy paid $1,700 to $1,800 in monthly rent for subpar housing in California. He witnessed the dot-com bust and wanted to move his company elsewhere.

InfoNERO, 4645 8th Ave. S., now employs 25 people. Rangaswamy also started the Passage to India Restaurant in Fargo.

“Fargo-Moorhead is one of the inexpensive cities in the U.S.,” Rangaswamy said. “It has all the infrastructure to have the work carried out here, and it is three or four times lower than the cost of California or New York.”


Online

- To learn more about how ACCRA formulas are calculated, visit www.coli.org/faq.asp.


Readers can reach Forum reporter

Melinda Rogers at (701) 241-5524

ebitdadada
Apr 18, 2007, 12:28 AM
:tup:
Forbes Best Small Metros for Business & Careers: Published 04/05/07
:cheers:

Rank, Metro Area,
Cost Of Doing Business, Job Growth, Educational Attainment, Pop(thou)
1 Sioux Falls SD 1 49 31 210
2 Bismarck ND 13 35 32 100
3 Columbia MO 12 39 6 154
4 Fargo ND 48 44 23 186
5 Iowa City IA 25 59 5 139
6 Bloomington IN 9 115 19 180
7 Rapid City SD 2 76 47 119
8 Las Cruces NM 53 15 56 193
9 Morgantown WV 57 11 26 115
10 Johnson City TN 30 40 89 190
...
32 Grand Forks ND 52 46 36 96

For reference there were 179 small metros ranked so even # 32 is pretty damn good.

:cheers:

JoeJoe
Apr 18, 2007, 6:41 PM
I know it's not a development thing, but if anyone has time on Thursday night at 8:45pm it'd be cool if you could attend the vigil that NDSU Student Gov't and Radio Fargo are holding for the VT victims. A processional will start at 8:45 p.m. Thursday in the grassy area between Old Main and the library at NDSU. Participants will walk with lighted candles to an area near the Fargodome for a short memorial service. The vigil is open to the public. I encourage people to attend, and try and get others to attend if you can.

F-Misthebest
Apr 19, 2007, 1:06 AM
Depot plans get rolling
Mike Nowatzki, The Forum
Published Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Fargo’s Great Northern Depot hasn’t been a transportation hub since 1986, but Tom and Kari Smith hope to get the wheels turning again.

Only, it’ll be bicycle riders, not train passengers, whose arrivals and departures will make the 100-year-old brick building bustle with activity.

The city’s Renaissance Zone Authority on Monday recommended approval of five-year state income and property tax incentives for the Smiths, who plan to buy and fit the building for their business, Island Park Cycles.

As part of the depot project, the Smiths are working with the Fargo Park District and Downtown Community Partnership to create a public park just west of the depot.

Island Park Cycles organizes more than 100 group bicycle rides from April to September, all departing from its current location at 101 8th St. S.

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/5148/0417greatndepotlr2.jpg
http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/9667/0417renzone2ze3.jpg
http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/5951/mnrenzonezy6.jpg
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/2618/mnrenzoneanb4.jpg
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/2425/mnrenzonebql4.jpg

Those riders eventually will gather at the depot, Tom Smith said.

The glass curtain walls on the west end of the building will be removed and restored to the original “port cochere” entrance, allowing cyclists to arrive in the same fashion as carriages that dropped off train passengers years ago, Tom Smith said.

“We think of our mission here as to give this building back to the community and have it as a hub of transportation once again,” he said.

Getting rid of the uninsulated glass and redoing the heating system will reduce energy bills that have plagued past businesses in the depot, Smith said.

Bands could possibly set up in the entrance for concerts in the park, he said. The park also may include an ice rink.

“This project creates civic space, and we just haven’t had many of those come along in downtown,” said Dave Anderson, president of the downtown partnership.

The Zone Authority also approved incentives for two projects that, with the depot, will aid in the continuing revitalization of the north end of downtown, officials said.

Kilbourne Group LLC plans to remodel the former Straus Clothing building at 102 Broadway. The first floor will support three to four specialty shops, and offices will occupy the second floor.

“We’re marketing it to high-traffic tenants that will bring more people to that corner and make it more active,” said Mike Allmendinger, project manager for Kilbourne Group.

The developer also is considering installing a green roof and offering underground parking, Allmendinger said.

While downtown’s revival has pumped life into many old structures, the Straus building has sat empty since Navteq moved out in 2001.

“We’re really excited about this,” Anderson said. “If anything, this building for the last several years represented the tombstone that wouldn’t go away.”

Construction will start in June, and the building could have its first tenant by October, Allmendinger said.

Kilbourne Group also plans to rehab the Smith, Follett & Crowl building at 309 Roberts St., formerly home to Knights Formal Wear.

The warehouse-type building will support retail or office use on the first floor and 18 to 21 apartment units on the three upper floors.

The efficiency, one- and two-bedroom units will rent for $600 to $800 per month and be targeted at college students as North Dakota State University’s downtown presence grows, Allmendinger said.

Kilbourne Group is also developing a mixed-use building with retail and condos in the parking lot south of the Fargo Theatre. Construction will start in August on that project and at the 309 Roberts St. site, Allmendinger said.


Readers can reach Forum reporter Mike Nowatzki at (701) 241-5528

SmileyBoy
Apr 19, 2007, 8:24 PM
NEW DESIGN

http://www.in-forum.com/gfx/photos/full/0419-library-rendering.jpg
The Fargo Library Board and the library's Building Committee on Monday accepted a revised design (shown above) for the new downtown library. The design no longer incorporates portions of the existing library at 102 3rd St. N. The glass curtain walls were abandoned for steel-and-glass walls with brick corners. Renderings by Meyer, Scherer &Rockcastle Ltd.

OLD DESIGN

http://www.in-forum.com/gfx/photos/full/Old-Fargo-Library-SE.jpg

Revised Fargo library design accepted
Mike Nowatzki, The Forum
Published Thursday, April 19, 2007

Fargo library officials on Wednesday accepted revised designs for a less expensive and slightly smaller downtown library, after bids arrived in February at more than $3 million over budget.

The redesigned library is 52,400 square feet, or about 3,300 square feet smaller than the previous design, said Jack Poling of Minneapolis-based project architect Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle Ltd.

“Conceptually, the building is very, very consistent with what we’ve discussed from very early on in the design process,” he said.

Library bids opened Feb. 28 were more than $13.1 million for the general construction, electrical and mechanical work. Poling attributed the high bids mainly to the complexity of the project, which involved using the foundation and support columns of the current library at 102 3rd St. N.

The City Commission rejected the bids March 12 and established the base construction budget for the new library at $9.6 million.


The Fargo Library Board and the library's Building Committee on Monday accepted a revised design (shown above) for the new downtown library. The design no longer incorporates portions of the existing library at 102 3rd St. N. The glass curtain walls were abandoned for steel-and-glass walls with brick corners. Renderings by Meyer, Scherer &Rockcastle Ltd.

The estimate for the redesigned library is $9.3 million, Poling said, adding the estimate continues to be refined.

Significant cost savings came from not having to incorporate the existing library. Architects also saved about $1 million by abandoning the glass curtain wall system for a glass-and-steel storefront window system between brick corners, Poling said.

MS&R used a different estimator for the redesign and also talked to contractors about the cost savings from certain changes, Poling said.

The interior building footprints basically remained the same, he said. The reduced square footage was achieved by drawing in the walls slightly on the second floor.

Members of the library’s board of trustees and Building Committee unanimously accepted the redesign. They still have to decide between orange-brown and dark gray for the exterior brick color.

Building Committee Chairwoman Linda Coates said the redesigned library maintains the transparent quality of the original design, allowing for a lot of natural light.

“The outside of the building is going to be contemporary- looking, elegant, more inviting than it is now,” she said.

The project will be rebid in June, Poling said.

Despite the design delays, the library is still scheduled to open in November 2008, Interim Library Director Beth Postema said.

In other business, the library board formed a committee to search for a library director to replace Charles Pace, who left in October to take over the library system in St. Louis County, Mo.

The committee will consist of board members Suzanne Morrison, Herb Snyder and Richard Zeck; Coates; Fargo Human Resources Director Dana Sue Busch; a representative of Friends of the Fargo Public Library; and two library staff members.

Officials hope to post the job in June and hire a director this fall, Postema said

Doc
Apr 19, 2007, 10:27 PM
The new library still looks good, but I really like the old design better (with all of the glass). *sigh*

SmileyBoy
Apr 20, 2007, 12:10 AM
The new library still looks good, but I really like the old design better (with all of the glass). *sigh*

I like the new design better, because 1) It's a completely 100 percent new building and 2) It incorporates a lot of brick.

Doc
Apr 21, 2007, 1:10 AM
The new restaurant at the old Renny's place is open. It looks like a nice Italian place where the dinners are from 6-10 dollars. The Hotel Donaldson has a brand new menu too.

Oh, and the Pita Pit on Broadway is hiring.

Lileks
Apr 23, 2007, 3:08 AM
That's great news about the Strauss building. I remember visiting the store with my parents when it was downtown's best clothiers; it smelled of cigarettes and shoe polish. Pure post-war Fargo swank.

I wonder if they'll replace the tree.

F-Misthebest
Apr 23, 2007, 3:33 AM
You wouldn't be James Lileks by any chance would you, and welcome to the forum by the way. :cheers: :cheers:

F-Misthebest
Apr 23, 2007, 3:39 AM
Oh, and my father is looking to buy a condo downtown either in the ones above where Northern Home Furniture used to be or in where those huge three windows are along Broadway across the street from the Alerus Building. We are going to go look at them soon. I'm looking forward to it immensly.

SmileyBoy
Apr 23, 2007, 3:30 PM
You wouldn't be James Lileks by any chance would you, and welcome to the forum by the way. :cheers: :cheers:

Pretty sure he is. Welcome aboard, James!!!:cool:

Go to the Gallery of Regrettable Food on his website. Funny stuff.

F-Misthebest
Apr 23, 2007, 9:55 PM
Expressway building $2.8 million Fargo hotel
Melinda Rogers, The Forum
Published Monday, April 23, 2007

A North Dakota hotelier plans to open a $2.8 million four-story Fargo hotel at 4310 15th Ave. S. in early 2008.

Coulter Lodging Inc., which owns the Expressway Suites and Expressway Inn in Bismarck, will construct a 47,440-square-foot, 75-room hotel half a block from West Acres Shopping Center, the company’s managing partner Dave Isaak said Monday.

The company formerly owned Fargo’s Expressway Inn at 1340 21st Ave. S.. but sold the hotel to Nodak Hotels in February.

Coulter Lodging wanted to focus on bringing its suites concept to Fargo-Moorhead after Bismarck customers inquired whether there was an Expressway Suites in the Red River Valley, Isaak said.

He said the company is taking its Expressway Inn product and “upgrading it:”

The Expressway Suites in Fargo will have amenities including 32-inch panel televisions, microwaves, refrigerators and a mini-water park with a 50-foot water slide and a “rain tree,” Isaak said.

“We’re going to design it for the business traveler but also accommodate the weekend traveler. We want to hit both sides of the customer base that is visiting us now.”

Coulter Lodging was founded in 1987. Isaak runs the business along with his father Larry Isaak and brother-in-law Mark Dosch, who manages the company’s Bismarck properties.

A building permit from Fargo City Hall to move for-ward with the Expressway Suites project is pending.

The Expressway Suites joins a surge of new hotel construction in Fargo-Moorhead, said Fargo-Moorhead Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Cole Carley.

The Kelly Inn is also constructing a new hotel near West Acres. Three extended stay hotels – Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and Homewood Suites by Hilton –all opened in Fargo over the past year, Carley said.

Carley said when he started his job 16 years ago Fargo-Moorhead was opening new hotels every year.

“We were adding 100 rooms a year for several years in a row,” Carley said.

That pattern has lagged in recent years. The last new hotel construction was Moor-head’s Courtyard by Marriott, which opened in 2002.

Hotel construction in 2006 increased with the extended stay facilities. Carley said he expects the trend will continue through this year and then “calm down.”

“As long as the market continues to grow reasonably and consistently, the things in the tourism market will continue to grow reasonably consistently,” Carley said.

Fargo and Moorhead are home to 40 hotels with a total of 3,761 rooms, according to convention and visitors bureau statistics.

Lileks
Apr 24, 2007, 12:13 AM
Thanks for the welcome, folks. I stumbled on this forum while looking for information for a project about old Fargo, and was pleased to see all the information about new Fargo. Keep it up; it's a great resource.

SmileyBoy
Apr 24, 2007, 2:21 AM
I thought the new Expressway Suites was going to be 120 rooms, not 75. Did they maybe enlarge the size of the rooms in the final plan while reducing the number??

Either way, it'll be 4 storeys. Woo-hoo.:slob:

F-Misthebest
Apr 24, 2007, 3:36 AM
I think you might be thinking of the Kelly Inn that's being constructed. I have no idea actually. I don't remember how many rooms that hotel has.

SmileyBoy
Apr 24, 2007, 4:06 AM
I think you might be thinking of the Kelly Inn that's being constructed. I have no idea actually. I don't remember how many rooms that hotel has.

No, I'm talking about Expressway. There's a sign up on the property that says "COMING SOON - 120-room hotel, lounge and suites".

As long as they didn't reduce the square footage, I suppose it's OK. Maybe they wanted to make the thing all suites.

F-Misthebest
Apr 24, 2007, 5:23 AM
Oh okay. Here's a picture from the Forum about where the hotel will be located.
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/6733/thehotelks7.jpg

JoeJoe
Apr 25, 2007, 2:44 AM
Did the Forum do that right? I swore that it was going to be across the street to the SOUTH of 17th Ave between the old Banner (soon to be Eide Bailey) building and that apartment complex. That's where the sign is at least...

F-Misthebest
Apr 26, 2007, 5:04 AM
Plant possible site for library
J. Shane Mercer, The Forum
Published Wednesday, April 25, 2007

A $1.4 million state grant to clean up the old Moorhead power plant could clear the way to relocate the city’s library there.

The grant will pay for removing “various controlled substances that you can’t just rip out and put in the landfill,” said Peter Doll, manager of development services. These include lead, asbestos and mercury.

Moorhead received more than one-third of all redevelopment grant dollars awarded by the Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Moorhead Library Director Anne Fredine said there are several advantages to moving into the power plant building. The building is high enough to safeguard it from flooding, the facility has a view of the river and it is near Woodlawn Park.

The current layout of the building is also a plus, Fredine said.

http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/5416/powerplantqc2.jpg
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/2368/wherethepowerplantisza3.jpg

Further, the cost of renovating instead of building new could be significant. One estimate found the savings to be $50 per square foot, Doll said.

“It’s a tremendous site,” said Scott Hutchins, director of Community Services for Moorhead.

The library project is still in the preliminary stage. The next step is to develop a building program that will detail the library’s needs for the building. Construction would have to be approved by the City Council.

While Fredine said the site “seems to have some really exciting potential,” she also wants “to know that that’s a good fit.”

There were questions about the grant application because it contained language indicating the city intended to raze homes in the neighborhood.

“It was a mistake,” Hutchins said. He apologized for the error, saying these acquisitions were part of preliminary discussions that were decided against.

He said the Department of Employment and Economic Development has already been informed of the error and agreed to the changes. “There is no plan for acquisition” of homes.

Hutchins and City Manager Bruce Messelt said city staff had to contend with a tight deadline to get the application filed on time.

“How it could have been submitted as a mistake is baffling to me,” said Mark Chekola, whose house was among those mentioned in the grant. “I think it really is a shame that this happened because it seems to me that the library proposal is an exciting one.”

Jill Danielson lives in the area and is frustrated by what she said is lack of communication from the city. She said she had heard about the possibility of a library mentioned only as one of several options.

“This really needs to be a ‘do with’ process not a ‘do to’ process,” she said.

Doll said the opportunity for public input has not been closed.

Moorhead Neighborhood Services Manager Lisa Vatnsdal sympathized with residents’ desire to have input into the process, saying, “They should, and they will.”

The city will take input on this and other issues at a neighborhood planning open house from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. today at the Hjemkomst Center. Hutchins also said his office is open to public input.


If you go:

What: Moorhead Neighborhood Planning Community Open House

Where: Hjemkomst Center, 202 1st Ave. N.

When: 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. today

For more information:http://www.cityofmoorhead.com/housing/index.asp


Readers can reach Forum reporter

Shane Mercer at (701) 451-5734

F-Misthebest
Apr 27, 2007, 2:09 AM
Mexican Village to open second Fargo location
Melinda Rogers, The Forum
Published Thursday, April 26, 2007

A popular Mexican restaurant in downtown Fargo hopes to bring some flavor to the city’s budding Urban Plains development.


Mexican Village, known for its colorfully painted walls and bottomless baskets of chips and salsa, will open a second location at 3155 45th St. S. in September, owners Steve and Karen Bush said today.


The $1.75 million, 10,122-square-foot restaurant will feature a different design from the restaurant’s original location at 814 Main Ave.

A full service bar and outdoor patio overlooking a man-made pond allows the restaurant to provide more seating at its new location. Two hundred sixty can fit in the restaurant’s dining room, while another 100 can be seated in the bar and there's room for 50 people on the patio, Steve Bush said.

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/4710/0427mexicanvillage2co2.jpg
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/5638/mexicanvillage2ic2.jpg

Construction on the project is expected to start next week.


The Bushes purchased Mexican Village from previous owner Ben Anvary in 2002. The restaurant has operated in downtown Fargo since 1970.


Steve Bush said he’s been eyeing locations to expand for the past five years. The Urban Plains location positions Mexican Village to tap a growing customer base in south Fargo and West Fargo, he said.


“We’re pretty excited. We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from people. We feel like we’re leading the charge in the development that’s going to go on out there,” Steve Bush said.


Urban Plains, located at 45th St. and 32nd Ave. S., will be home to condos, and office and medical park, retail shops, a park and a new hockey arena. Urban Plain’s Web site, www.upfargo.com, highlights the development’s plans.

Mexican Village is among the first Urban Plains tenants to announce its location, said Blake Nybakken, a development specialist for Icon Architectural Group, a partner in Urban Plains.

“It’s going to be a very prominent business for us out there … right at our grand entrance for Urban Plains. That’s going to set the tone for the development out there,” he said.

Nybakken said there will be a Taco Bell franchise north of Mexican Village. Other tenants for the medical, office and retail park are in negotiations, he said.

The Bushes purchased Mexican Village from previous owner Ben Anvary in 2002. Both worked at the restaurant after graduating from North Dakota State University in 1987.

The restaurant opened in downtown Fargo in 1970.

Steve worked in the kitchen, while Karen was a hostess. Steve took a job as an engineer at CNH Global for several years, but still worked as a weekend kitchen coordinator to practice his love of cooking.

The couple decided to try their hand at entrepreneurship when Anvary wanted to sell the business in 2002.

Gaining momentum off the solid reputation Anvary built over 30 years, the restaurant has flourished, Steve Bush said.

The Bushes, who live in West Fargo, said they hear from neighbors who enjoy Mexican Village, but say the Main Avenue restaurant is too far to drive compared to other options in southwest Fargo, Karen Bush said.

The new location will hopefully attract those customers, she said.

“It is still going to be a family restaurant. We’ve always focused on Mexican food, good service and a fun environment,” Steve Bush said.

“Those are the things we’re going to try to carry over to the new restaurant.”


Readers can reach Forum reporter Melinda Rogers at (701) 241-5524

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm glad to see that Urban Plains is gaing tenats. It's kind of wierd that both restaurants (Mexican Village and Taco Bell) are mexican restaurants, if you can call Taco Bell mexican :) .

F-Misthebest
Apr 27, 2007, 2:17 AM
Consultants present concepts to residents
J. Shane Mercer, The Forum
Published Thursday, April 26, 2007

Moorhead residents took a look Wednesday at what several redevelopment sites and gateway improvements could look like as consultants presented concepts from the Neighborhood Planning Study.

Consultants from Minneapolis-based Bonestroo – taking input from city officials, the college, the university, residents and business owners – offered preferred redevelopment concepts for three specific sites in the area:

- The preferred concept for the old power plant near Woodlawn Park is relocating the library there and building two residential complexes.

- The preferred concept for the site that used to be Town and Country Flowers at Second Street South near 14th Avenue includes the construction of 10 town homes.

- The preferred concept for the Halliday property at 15th Street and Fourth Avenue South includes 10 town homes and a large open space.

- The study – which is advisory only – is also concerned with the development of Eighth Street. Consultants developed prototypes for half-block and full-block developments, which include residential and commercial development.

Richard Moorhead, who owns an architecture firm in Moorhead, said the building types and density in the concepts were appropriate.

“It’s the only thing that makes sense from a development point of view,” he said.

But Julie Smith of Moorhead wanted more focus in the study on affordable housing instead of high-end dwellings.

In addition to redevelopment, consultants presented concepts for improving the appearance of entryways into the city, and the campuses of Concordia and Minnesota State University Moorhead.

These concepts included adding trees and medians. Aesthetics and safety at crosswalks could also be enhanced by landscaping these areas with brick or other color-differentiating materials and elevating them, consultants said.

“It creates a character for the corridor and an identity for the city,” said Mike Konieczny of Bonestroo.

Ron Williams of Moorhead said he likes the idea of putting more trees on the street.

“In general, I think what I see, I like,” Williams said.

Richard Moorhead believes that trees being used on Eighth Street would be of more benefit on Main Avenue and Center Avenue.

The Neighborhood Planning Study was designed to deal with various issues in the core of the city, including pedestrian safety, parking problems, the aesthetics of the entryways and what to do with certain city-owned properties. The geographic scope of the project roughly stretches from Main Avenue past the campuses and from the river to 20th Street.

Bonestroo will use Wednesday’s feedback to develop a final report that will serve as a planning guide for the city, said Moorhead Neighborhood Services Manager Lisa Vatnsdal. She expects the consultant’s final report within the next three months.

Moorhead Director of Community Services Scott Hutchins called the Bonestroo concepts “impressive,” adding that good planning efforts like the Neighborhood Planning Study lead to good projects in the long run.


Readers can reach Forum reporter Shane Mercer at (701) 451-5734

SmileyBoy
Apr 27, 2007, 8:03 PM
Here's the design for the new Mexican Village:

http://www.in-forum.com/gfx/photos/full/Mexican-Village2.jpg

Looks like a Chinese restaurant. Going up right next door to the new Taco Bell too.

F-Misthebest
Apr 28, 2007, 2:53 PM
Toscana Italian restaurant opens on Broadway
Craig McEwen and Melinda Rodgers, The Forum
Published Saturday, April 28, 2007

Toscana, a restaurant specializing in Italian cuisine, has opened at 202 Broadway in Fargo.

Owners Charlene Blazek and her husband, Mirco Morganti, opened the bistro earlier this month.

Morganti, a native of Tuscany, is the restaurant’s chef. While the menu offers distinct Italian dishes, some French items and American food are also available.

The restaurant is in the former home of Renny’s Parlour, which closed.

Toscana is open Monday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Saturday from 4 to 9 p.m.

Reservations are recommended for weekend dining.

For more information, call (701) 235-9100.


Microsoft plans tech camp for girls

Microsoft Corp. will host a free technology camp for young women at the company’s Fargo campus June 12-14.

The camp, from 8 a.m.

to 4 p.m., is designed to teach junior high and high school students about career opportunities in technology.

The camp features classes, demonstrations and employee networking. Among other activities, girls will design Web pages, learn basic programming skills and participate in career development sessions.

Participants must be at least 13 years old and can apply for a camp spot at www.microsoft.com/about/diversity/programs/camps.mspx.


The deadline for application is May 18 and participants will be notified of their acceptance by May 25.

For more information contact Babs Coler at (701) 281-6540 or visit www.edutech.nodak.edu.


Fargo-based company buys Michigan IT firm

Fargo-based Corporate Technologies has purchased Computer Products and Resources of Grand Rapids, Mich.

Computer Products and Resources is western Michigan’s largest IT provider with a staff of 130 system engineers.

“This acquisition makes Corporate Technologies 210 employees strong and we foresee the addition of both sales and technical staff in coming months,” said CEO Jim Griffith.

“Computer Products and Resources’ 5,000-square-foot data center facility offers our customers a secondary secure location for their data,” said Fritz Wensel, vice president of Corporate Technologies.

Corporate Technologies has offices in Fargo, Minneapolis and San Diego.


Bank Forward buys FPM Insurance

Bank Forward, with headquarters in Jamestown, N.D., has purchased FPM Insurance of Fargo and Grand Forks, N.D.

Kim Erickson, president of FPM of Fargo, said the agency will continue to operate under the FPM Insurance banner.

Bank Forward, established by C.A. Brown in Hannaford, N.D., in 1927, operates banks in eight North Dakota communities and three Minnesota communities.

FPM Insurance Agency Inc. is a full-service, independent insurance agency. Its offices will remain in Fargo at 51 Broadway, Suite 111, and in Grand Forks at 3311 S. Washington St.


Readers can reach Business Editor Craig McEwen at (701) 241-5502 and business reporter Melinda Rogers at (701) 241-5524

Doc
Apr 28, 2007, 6:26 PM
Went to Toscana. The dinner is pricier than lunch. It was good (the mussels were surprisingly good), but still could use some honing. A tomato salad with gorgonzola sounds like a good idea, but it was basically about 2 pounds of chopped tomatoes with blue cheese dressing. Just too much of a good thing.

It's good to see more activity at that corner and more dinner options.:cheers:

F-Misthebest
May 1, 2007, 2:26 AM
I put some photos of Downtown Fargo that I took about a year ago that are on this thread. Take a look, it's getting a decent amount of views.

NanoBison
May 2, 2007, 6:24 AM
Ate at Toscana downtown yesterday and today for lunch. I must say, I'm quite impressed with how they cleaned up that particular location. The food by the way, is excellent.

:)

NanoBison
May 2, 2007, 6:31 AM
Even though I think a rough draft of these plans has already been posted, the Forum did another article on it today. Here's the scoop :

Unveiling a vision (http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=164476&section=valleyrr)
Dave Roepke, The Forum
Published Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Jim and Jan Kapitan are understandably fond of the existing site of the Trollwood Performing Arts School in north Fargo.

It’s not just because they live right across the street. Their daughter, Jennifer, was a student there for six summers in the late 1980s.

read more here... (http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=164476&section=valleyrr)

Here are some pics of the development :

http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/7568/x00240917ks6.jpg

http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/9696/050220trolllwood20park2nl5.jpg

http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/8017/0502trollwooddancefb9.jpg

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/8181/0502trollwoodviewlg4.jpg

NanoBison
May 2, 2007, 6:38 AM
Here's another development in West Fargo going up. Not so sure if it's the greatest location in the city (by some heavy industrial and city sewage lagoons), but then again, I haven't actually gone out to that particular tract of land. Here's the story :

Goldenwood slated for growth (http://www.in-forum.com/Business/articles/164343)
Craig McEwen, The Forum
Published Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Goldenwood, a West Fargo housing development, has been purchased by Homeland Developers and platted for expansion.

The initial 57-acre site was developed in 2003 at 12th Avenue North and County Road 17, containing 31 single family lots and 16 twinhome lots.

read more here... (http://www.in-forum.com/Business/articles/164343)

http://img400.imageshack.us/img400/4223/0501goldenwoodup6.jpg

NanoBison
May 2, 2007, 6:46 AM
As we approach the construction boom season, I want to speculate on what we might see this season. I know Microsoft is getting ready to announce a new building here pretty soon. I hope it gets started on this summer. I know there are a few projects already lined up for the downtown area, including the Great Northern being transformed into Island Park Cycles, the building across from the HoDo will be getting some major work done. The Main Ave Bridge area on the Moorhead side is going to really be busy in the next couple of months. I expect the Urban Plains area to really start taking off this summer and we might even possibly see some residential going in there. I know the new Menards is getting close to finished in Moorhead. That massive residential structure on University and 32nd Ave S is nearing completion.

Anyone else got some project info they know about?

What I'd really like to see, is the announcement, of any kind, of a new tower in the downtown area, but I'm not sure if that will happen. Can always dream.

P.s. I'm quite jealous of what S.F. is doing with their downtown. I hope our city leaders really get on the ball on that one. Oh yeah, the library construction should start shortly.

That's what I've got.

SmileyBoy
May 2, 2007, 2:32 PM
As we approach the construction boom season, I want to speculate on what we might see this season. I know Microsoft is getting ready to announce a new building here pretty soon. I hope it gets started on this summer. I know there are a few projects already lined up for the downtown area, including the Great Northern being transformed into Island Park Cycles, the building across from the HoDo will be getting some major work done. The Main Ave Bridge area on the Moorhead side is going to really be busy in the next couple of months. I expect the Urban Plains area to really start taking off this summer and we might even possibly see some residential going in there. I know the new Menards is getting close to finished in Moorhead. That massive residential structure on University and 32nd Ave S is nearing completion.

Anyone else got some project info they know about?

What I'd really like to see, is the announcement, of any kind, of a new tower in the downtown area, but I'm not sure if that will happen. Can always dream.

P.s. I'm quite jealous of what S.F. is doing with their downtown. I hope our city leaders really get on the ball on that one. Oh yeah, the library construction should start shortly.

That's what I've got.

Right now I'm keeping an eye in Urban Plains, the new DT library, the new Southside library, anything else downtown, the new area in Moorhead on the intersection of 34th Street and I-94, and any growth in the 12 square miles south of I-94 and west of I-29. There's just too much for me to concentrate on specifically. Road construction should start soon on the 57th St./I-29 overpass embankments, and hopefully paving 57th Street. 32nd Ave. South west of 45th St. NEEDS NEEDS NEEDS to be paved. Urban Plains will DIE if it is not.

A couple people at NDSU were telling me about how there's a developer (don't know if it's Konrad Olson) who wants to build a high rise near the new city hall/library/performing arts centre site. I don't know if this is more Konrad Olson rehashing, or someone different.

NanoBison
May 2, 2007, 5:10 PM
A couple people at NDSU were telling me about how there's a developer (don't know if it's Konrad Olson) who wants to build a high rise near the new city hall/library/performing arts centre site. I don't know if this is more Konrad Olson rehashing, or someone different.

Man, would that be nice is a project of that magnitude was to be announced shortly. Did you just recently hear about the "rumors" from the NDSU people, or was this a while ago? Do you think you could find out anymore juicy tidbits for us Smiley?

I know one thing, that plot of land that has the ABC Adult Bookstore and FBS Products on it, would be the perfect block for a highrise. Right next to the new library site, the bus station, and everything else downtown. Not to mention, I don't think most people would raise too many concerns to see the entire block razed and have a 20+ storey tower go in there.

I was downtown yesterday eating at Toscana a little after lunch time and I have to comment on how more and more metropolitan the downtown area is starting to feel. Always a good thing!

I wonder if a couple of developers are waiting in the wings to see how the new library and *possible* preforming arts center pans out? Perhaps it's a build it and the developers will come?

F-Misthebest
May 2, 2007, 10:00 PM
Even though I think a rough draft of these plans has already been posted, the Forum did another article on it today. Here's the scoop :

Unveiling a vision (http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=164476&section=valleyrr)
Dave Roepke, The Forum
Published Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Jim and Jan Kapitan are understandably fond of the existing site of the Trollwood Performing Arts School in north Fargo.

It’s not just because they live right across the street. Their daughter, Jennifer, was a student there for six summers in the late 1980s.

read more here... (http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=164476&section=valleyrr)

Here are some pics of the development :

http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/7568/x00240917ks6.jpg

http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/9696/050220trolllwood20park2nl5.jpg

http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/8017/0502trollwooddancefb9.jpg

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/8181/0502trollwoodviewlg4.jpg

I attended that unveiling of Trollwood on Tuesday, and was quite pleased. I think this is going to be an attraction for developers to build in Moorhead. :tup: :tup:

F-Misthebest
May 4, 2007, 12:46 AM
I think I'm going to be doing a major photo thread of downtown, Moorhead, West Acres, the sprawly area, the north area, the airport, and maybe some aerials.

SmileyBoy
May 10, 2007, 12:20 AM
The Uno Pizzeria on 13th and 17th in West Fargo is closing down for remodeling and will be replaced by another chain to be mentioned later.

Also, they're currently constructing at least two new strip malls at Eagle Run. Riverbend Plaza and some other one north of Eagle Run Plaza.

A new White Castle franchise will be built at Urban Plains.

That's all I have for now.

F-Misthebest
May 10, 2007, 11:13 PM
Oh, I thought that Uno Pizzeria was closed just for remodeling and was going to open up again as Uno.

Really? A White Castle in Fargo, in North Dakota, and in the Dakotas? Really? That's really neat. How did you find that out?

F-Misthebest
May 10, 2007, 11:24 PM
The Golden Corral restaurant will open a location in Fargo near the zoo, an odd location for a restaurant but oh well at least it's another restaurant to add to the list.

Strayone
May 11, 2007, 4:27 AM
After reading parts of this thread I would like to know can anyone fill me in on the Conrad Olsen proposed highrise, what is the status at this time, are there any renditions?

SmileyBoy
May 11, 2007, 4:46 AM
The Golden Corral restaurant will open a location in Fargo near the zoo, an odd location for a restaurant but oh well at least it's another restaurant to add to the list.

Opening a Golden Corral next to the zoo is an apt place actually, after all it is a trough...:haha:

SmileyBoy
May 11, 2007, 4:48 AM
After reading parts of this thread I would like to know can anyone fill me in on the Conrad Olsen proposed highrise, what is the status at this time, are there any renditions?

All we know is that in the Fargo Forum a couple years ago, Konrad Olson said he wants (read: "wants" and not "can") to build a 20-story or so mixed-use skyscraper next to the Red River near the new Library and performing arts centre site. He's a big-name local developer, but it's not much past the vision stage right now. But we know for sure that this is a plan of his for the future.

With residential units at Woodhaven Plaza (another K. Olson project) taking off right now, he may see it as a more feasible project soon. This is just speculation, however.