Mooddyz Bar and Casino

A new business by the name of Mooddyz Bar and Casino may soon open in the former Westward Ho building. Currently, the only business in the former entertainment complex is the Northside Cafe.

The bar's request for a liquor license has been at least temporarily denied due to the way in which one of the potential owners answered the question "Have you ever been convicted of any crime, in this or in any other state, or under Federal Law?" in the liquor license paperwork.

In the paperwork, the man reported a 1979 arrest for marijuana possession, but according to the Grand Forks Police Department's Criminal Investigation Bureau, he failed to report several other crimes. These include a 1998 arrest and conviction for DUI, a 2005 arrest and conviction for reckless driving, and a 2005 arrest and conviction for harassment.

Mooddyz is appealing the liquor license application denial at this evening's Service and Safety Standby Committee. Check out the meeting packet which contains all of this and more information.

Bank Forward @ University Village

Here's a look at what the new Bank Forward branch currently under construction at University Village will look like when completed. The bank should open next month. Back in May, GFL was the first to report about Bank Forward coming to University Village. Can anyone tell me exactly where that Starbucks is going to be located? My guess is on the left (south) side of the building.

Commercial construction in EGF

On Friday evening I happened to be driving around the north side of East Grand Forks when I noticed something interesting. You know that big empty lot right west of Hugo's and just south of the old Maury's building? It's sat empty for years, but a sign which reads something to the effect of "Coming soon - commercial space for lease" has just been put up on the property. There appeared to be some sort of building pictured in the background of the sign, but it was getting dark and I couldn't make out what kind of a building it was. I'm guessing it must be either an office building or a strip mall...probably a strip mall.

I know "they are going to build some office building or strip mall in East Grand Forks" isn't much of a news story, but it made me do some thinking. When was the last time that a new retail building was built in East Grand Forks? I'm thinking it was either the new video store or the new dollar store (both in front of Hugo's). The sad thing is, both of those projects were from several years ago. In other words, commercial growth - namely retail - seems to be almost non-existent on the Eastside lately.

Why have East Grand Forks' commercial areas sat virtually stagnant during the same period that huge tracts of commercial land have been filled in Grand Forks? I know there is some correlation between the activity in Grand Forks and the lack of activity in East Grand Forks, but I don't think it is fair to only blame Grand Forks' growth for East Grand Forks' commercial stagnancy.

Let's look at an example. Fargo and West Fargo obviously have booming retail areas, but the retail community in Moorhead is not stagnant by any means. There have been quite a few smaller commercial projects in Moorhead and now a new Mendard's is even going to open and there are more big name retailers on the horizon. What is Moorhead doing right that East Grand Forks is doing wrong?

I have to think that there is some reason why national retail and restaurant chains aren't eager to set of shop on the Eastside, but I can't figure out what that reason is. I think that a metropolitan area like Greater Grand Forks should have vibrant growth in all areas. That's why I think it's very unfortunate that the commercial community in East Grand Forks is anything but vibrant. What is preventing a Wal-Mart, a Target, or even something smaller like a Starbucks or a Taco Bell from setting up shop on the Eastside?

If I were in the city government of East Grand Forks, I would be very concerned about this stagnancy. I think it's really very sad when the recent big business stories in your town are the departure/bankruptcy of a craft store and the failure of a city-owned mall. Here's hoping that East Grand Forks sees more projects like the upcoming movie theater and the new building I mentioned at the start of this post. I think it's high time for the city of East Grand Forks to look at what is preventing real commercial growth from occurring in their community.

GF Goodribs closing

The rumors apparently were true. GF Goodribs is closing its doors for good this coming Friday. The restaurant, located in the northwest corner of town near Gateway Drive, has been open now for over 21 years.

The building that houses GF Goodribs has actually been for sale for a few months now. Earlier in the year when asked about a possible closure, an employee did not directly answer the question but instead stated that the restaurant was accepting reservations throughout the summer. Looks like those reservations will have to be moved over to Eagle's Crest Grill, the restaurant at King's Walk Golf Course operated by GF Goodribs owner Paul Waind.

With a couple of other recent restaurant closures in town, I'm wondering if any other restaurants will close down in the wake of so many new restaurants coming to town. Are any other restaurant's days numbered?

Another one bites the dust

It was a couple of months ago that the old, dilapidated Transport Incorporated building out on Gateway Drive was finally torn down. Now, another Gateway Drive eyesore has been demolished. The old Weekley's Auto Wrecking building and house, located just west of the Transport Incorporated site, is no more. One metal shed remains on the property and I would assume that this structure will also be razed.

The Weekley's complex was one of the worst eyesores on the stretch of Gateway that runs through north Grand Forks. Now, if we could just get them to clean up their act at their Gateway Drive property west of the city!

I'm not here to argue whether or not a business like Weekley's is vital or not. What I will argue is that the Weekley's building that was torn down has been basically abandoned for years now. It has been battered by the elements and little if any upkeep has gone into the structure. It has been an eyesore for far to long. It's good to have this building gone and it's good to now have an empty area on Gateway Drive so close to University Village that can now be redeveloped.

Ugly buildings and properties that no one maintains properly are eyesores for the entire community. Some would argue that an eyesore here and there isn't that important, but I would argue that when we see ugliness it brings us down and casts a bad light on the rest of our city. In ways, it is really a quality of life issue. I, for one, am very happy to see blight like this eliminated.

Northside Cafe now open

The new Northside Cafe is now open for business on Gateway Drive. The restaurant is located in a portion of the old Westward Ho property. GFL first brought you news of the Cafe back in February.

I'm curious to know if any readers have been to the new restaurant yet. If you've been there, why not give us a mini review? For that matter...anyone interested in reviewing the new Al's Grill which is located just across the street from the Northside Cafe? Come on...be Marilyn.

Al's Grill now open on Gateway

Al's Grill and Catering is now open in their new location on Gateway Drive. This is the former home of Capone's which, at last report, was leaving Grand Forks for the greener pastures of McVille, North Dakota. Best of luck to Al's in their new home!

More University Village construction?

It appears as though a new construction project of some sort will soon start in the University Village neighborhood north of UND. The bike path that follows the English Coulee is being rerouted in an area just south of Gateway Drive. Also, all trees within this area have been spray painted with big X's so it appears as though they will soon be removed as well. The area I'm referring to is bounded on the north by Gateway Drive, on the east by Ralph Engelstad Drive, on the west by the now-rerouted bike path, and on the south by the existing condo development. Perhaps I’m jumping the gun here, but these things do lead me to believe that something is planned for the property.

So, what can we expect to see constructed on this property in question? Maybe even more condos? What about that University Village hotel project which the University has been working on lately? Perhaps something we haven't even heard about yet? I'll be interested to find out.

Even if the proposed hotel isn't built on the piece of property I referred to earlier, I think we should expect to hear something about the hotel in the near future. I've heard various hotel chains mentioned, including Marriott. A logical location seems to be directly north of Suite 49. I'm sure developers would like to have a physical link to The Ralph, but I'm not sure if that's possible.

Construction on the second University Village strip mall is winding down. One spot in the mall will be a chiropractic office. None of the other spots appear to be taken yet. Any word on future tenants? I have heard that the University has also been working on a plan to build a larger mixed use complex on the northeast corner of University Village. It would be nice to see at least a 3 to 4 story building in that area.

Capone's to reopen...

...in McVille.

Yep, apparently Capone's - the restaurant that couldn't make a go of it on Gateway Drive in Grand Forks - is taking over the "McVille Restaurant" location. My tipster says that "they won't have the staff and greeters in gangster attire all the time; only for holidays and special occasions."

Well, I hope they can make a go of it in McVille (pop. 470). They didn't seem to be able to in Grand Forks...

Thanks to my faithful tipster!

Al's Grill moving to Capone's building

Al's Grill and Catering is moving into the old Capone's Restaurant building (previously Fire Island, previously Highway Host).

I've never eaten at Al's Grill, but I get the impression that it should be a much better fit for the building than Capone's was. Whoever thought that this building was a good location for one of the most expensive restaurants in town should have their head examined. "Located on scenic Gateway Drive across from the beautiful, aromatic Simplot factory!"

This stretch of Gateway will soon be home to two new restaurants: Al's and the Northside Cafe (which is going into the old Westward Ho building). By the way, isn't it kind of odd for a restaurant called "Al's" to be going into a building previously occupied by a restaurant called "Capone's"? That's bizarre!

One down...

Well, one of the many eyesores on Gateway Drive has finally been destroyed. For the last couple of days, a small crew has been tearing down the old Transport Inc. building. The dilapidated structure, which used to offend from its position a block or two east of old Westward Ho property, is currently a pile of rubbish. This demolition was first mentioned on GFL last year.

Let's hope that the Weekley Auto Wrecking building/house are the next to go! This very visible stretch of Gateway seems to be a prime place for redevelopment of some sort. Let's just hope it won't be another auto parts store. Seriously, I see a gradual redevelopment of the Gateway corridor taking place over the next decade or so. I think some things are already in place for such a renaissance and I think we'll see more good news for the corridor in the future.

Goodbye, Gateway eyesore...you won't be missed. Now, if we could send that wrecking crew to a few other properties in your neck of the woods...

New Gateway McDonald's

The McDonald's on Gateway Drive will close early next month in preparation for a major building project. The existing building will be torn down in early May. A new McDonald's building will be constructed on the property and will open about three months later.

The existing Gateway McDonald's, despite being seemingly very busy, is a small, outdated building. I'm personally happy to see this building replaced with a new structure.

City ok with multiple voting

On Tuesday evening, I emailed the city of Grand Forks to tell them:

"Your current poll about the new "Welcome to Grand Forks" sign allows people to vote as many times as they want to and people have clearly been casting hundreds or even thousands of votes at a time."

They didn't email me back. They didn't take down the poll. They didn't disable multiple votes per person. In other words, they don't really care if someone casts thousands of votes...doesn't matter to them.

Since anyone could come along and conceivably cast enough votes to make their choice the winner, the results of the poll mean nothing. This poll is a joke and so is the city's inattentiveness.

Update - 2/15/2007 - 6:09 PM
WDAZ just aired a story on the poll and how it allows multiple voting. The city employee that they spoke with called the poll "unscientific"...that's an understatement. When about one third of the votes came from one person (as the voter himself confessed over on Tu-Uyen's blog, that's not just "unscientific"...that's ridiculous. I'm glad to see WDAZ letting their viewers know about the problems with this sad excuse for a poll.

Mo' on the Ho

Wednesday's Herald has a story about the new Northside Cafe (which was first reported about here) and a local businessman's plans for the old Westward Ho building. Bill Graveline says the new restaurant will open in mid-March. He also says that, not including the restaurant's space, there are 18,000 square feet available for businesses. Also, apparently we shouldn't be holding out hope for any return to the kitschy Western theme of years gone by.

I'm happy to hear that Mr. Graveline is trying to improve at least one small area of Gateway Drive. The old Ho building has been a terrible eyesore the last few years. I really hope it's appearance is improved with this new restaurant.

Still, I wonder how much hope there is for finding real quality tenants for the building. Graveline says "I'd be interested in any tenant that would want to talk to me"...doesn't sound like they've exactly been lining up so far.

I still can't help but think that it might be better if everything from the Carpet Garage west to Simplot was torn down. I hope that Weekley's and the Transport, Inc. building will be torn down soon as has been talked about. I'm no fan of the old motel next to the Ho building, either. I would personally like to see it torn down and the property redeveloped.

BTW, the Herald's outrageous title, "Yo-a go for the Ho", for their story was the reason behind my own little tacky title. Forgive me.

City's Gateway Drive poll fiasco

You know how democracies have this thing about "one person, one vote"...the city of Grand Forks didn't get the message. The online polls that the city puts up on their website allow people to vote as many times as they want to. So, your one measly little vote will mean next to nothing if someone else comes along and casts dozens or hundreds of votes for the other option. Not so fair, huh?

A couple of days ago, the city put up a poll about the two options for a "Welcome to Grand Forks" sign out on Gateway Drive. I voted in the poll on Monday afternoon and "Concept 1" had about 10 votes while "Concept 2" had about 15 votes. On Monday night, WDAZ aired a story about the welcome sign and gave a link to the city's poll. I checked the results several hours after the report aired and "Concept 1" now had about 20 votes while "Concept 2" had jumped to about 35 votes. In other words, the story really didn't seem to draw much attention to the poll.

The reason that I want to emphasize that the news report didn't draw much traffic to the poll is because I don't want anybody to claim that the story is responsible for the current results of the poll. Right now, "Concept 1" has 3,846 votes while "Concept 2" has 1,071 votes. That's right, the first poll's first daw saw about 50 voters while over 4,800 votes were cast on the second day. Take a look at the current results for yourself. Something is rotten in Denmark Grand Forks.

You can cast as many votes as you want to in the poll...try it for yourself. One person with too much time on their hands can vote 50 times or even 5,000 times. Does that make any sense to you? Clearly, the dramatic number of votes that came in on Tuesday and the dramatic shift in the voting pattern (from being strongly in favor of "Concept 2" to being ridiculously in favor of "Concept 1") are witness to the fact that people have been casting hundreds or even thousands of votes at one time. That is unacceptable and the city must either start the poll over again (and this time only allow people to cast one vote) or simply forget about the poll and take it off of their website.

If I can put up polls on my site that don't allow multiple votes, why can't the city of Grand Forks?

BTW, here's the two welcome sign concepts:

Concept 1



Concept 2

Northside Cafe coming to Westward Ho

The long vacant Westward Ho property on Gateway Drive is getting a new tenant. The "Northside Cafe" will be opening there in the near future. Signs on the property call the new establishment a "family restaurant."

I'm still scratching my head over this one. The old Ho building is terrible looking. I never understood why they tore down the front half of it, but left the back half in place. The building currently looks a little like a bombed-out building in post-WWII Europe. Hopefully construction crews are a long way from finishing the remodeling project for the new restaurant. I can't imagine anyone opening a restaurant in a structure that looks the way the Ho building currently looks.

That said, I'm glad to see a new restaurant on Gateway. Hopefully, this place will go over a little better than the Capone's fiasco. It's encouraging that they are calling this place a "family restaurant". I think Capone's would still be in business today had they gone with a "family" format instead of a fine-dining format. I'm sure Capone's could have done much better in a different part of town, but Gateway Drive is no place to open a pricey restaurant. Hopefully a "family" restaurant will fit in well on Gateway.

No word yet on when the restaurant will open or just what type of menu they will have.

Cleaning up I-29

As the Herald is reporting in Thursday's paper, the North Dakota Department of Transportation is in the middle of a project to spruce up the I-29 corridor through Grand Forks. Right now, the work consists of removing dead and dying trees and vegetation. Next year, the project's second phase will consist of new plantings to replace those being removed.

I think this is fabulous news. Lately, I have seen crews removing the ugly, old Russian Olive trees. I hate Russian Olive trees...my father always calls them "scrub trees". Whoever had the brilliant idea back in the 60s to plant hundreds of these eyesores along the Interstate? Here's hoping that the DOT finds a better, more attractive tree to plant along the Interstate this time around.

The I-29 corridor has long been neglected and has fallen into a state where it could almost be described as an embarrassment. Not a Gateway Drive type embarrassment mind you, but not something the average citizen feels proud of either. As an avid gardener, one of my biggest pet peeves is how poorly public plantings are usually maintained.

I'm thrilled that the Interstate corridor is finally being cleaned up, but it shouldn't stop there. How about the four interchanges leading into the city? They are filled with dead and ugly plantings. It isn't as noticeable this time of year when everything is dormant anyways, but the interchange plantings are an eyesore during the warmer months. About ten years ago, whoever was in charge of the interchange areas had the brilliant idea to plant hundreds and hundreds of bushes. They were never properly maintained. The Gateway Drive interchange seemed to be the worst. Every summer, the grass and weeds would grow so thick and get so high that they would almost totally obscure the bushes. Over time, the bushes finally died and most have now been removed. Think of the thousands of dollars that were spent on those bushes. Then think of how they were never maintained and finally died and had to be dug up and thrown away. What a terrible waste of money.

Here's hoping that the ongoing Interstate cleanup project spreads to other areas with public plantings. Here's also hoping that the thousands of dollars worth of taxpayer money the DOT will spend on new trees and bushes this time around doesn't end up being a waste like it has been in the past. Finish cleaning up, then plant new, then maintain. It's simple, really.

In my opinion, Grand Forks is a beautiful city and projects like this (if properly executed and maintained) will hopefully make it even more attractive.

"Da Boss" making changes at Capone's?

While driving down Gateway this afternoon, I couldn't help but notice that the sign on the old Capone's building and the sign in front have both been removed.

As you may remember, Capone's had a fire a couple of months back. They seem to have been spending the time since cleaning up after the fire. Now, with the removal of both signs, I can't help but wonder if the owner has come to her senses and ditched the kitschy name and theme.

I've never understood the whole idea behind Capone's: probably the most expensive restaurant in town locating themselves on ugly Gateway Drive across the street from the smelly Simplot factory and then choosing a "gangster" theme. Really, can't we make some better choices here?

Before you nag me for "picking on" a local establishment, keep in mind that the owner's daughter doesn't mind calling anyone critical of her mother's business formula a douche bag. I mean really, grow up. I just don't feel overly sympathetic towards people who treat their potential customers in this manner.

Regardless, I'll be interested to see what direction the restaurant will take when it finally re-opens under who knows what name and format.

Open Thread #6

As the semester starts to wind down at UND, I'm just too busy to do much blogging.

This will have to do for a day or so. What's on your mind?

Topics covered: downtown chimes, flags at Perkin's, Opera House Lofts, opening of Bobbie's, "Heels Boutique North", new Westward Ho tenant?, new downtown establishments

Open Thread #3

I'm going to start having these about once a week...

Topics covered: gas prices, Hugo's losing business?, Grand Forks vs. urban areas, Westward Ho building