Anyone have a spare billion dollars?

Is it petty of me to be taking some level of umbrage with a select few down in Fargo calling for a diversion to protect that metropolitan area from flooding? (Fargo Forum article) ("Flood Protection Coalition for the FM-Community")

Perhaps diversions can offer advantages over dikes and floodwalls. In fact, I remember that in the wake of the 1997 flood I thought a diversion sounded like the best method of protecting Grand Forks and East Grand Forks. Then I started to realize that the cost was simply going to be far too high and a less costly system could offer a similar level of protection.

Don't get me wrong. The flood protection system that the Grand Cities eventually did construct was expensive. In fact, I sometimes think about the wonderful gift that has been given to us in this system. Hundreds of millions of dollars were spent to protect us and the money came from not only here at home but from each and every taxpayer in this country. We should be very grateful.

Having said how expensive the system that is now in place turned out to be, we actually did go with the less expensive method. A diversion would have cost not millions but likely billions. So what we have in place is the "cheap" option. Does it give us a "cheap" level of protection? Hardily. Even when the floodwaters rise perilously high as they did this spring, the mood is so different in Grand Forks than it used to be. The system has been tested and it clearly works. In my opinion, quality of protection is not a real issue here. Both diversions and dikes can offer a high level of protection.

Sure diversions limit the need to buyout homes within city limits. Sure dikes can obstruct the view of the river from within the city. Grand Forks suffered dearly in 1997...far more than any other Red River Valley city has seen since. If the residents of Grand Forks had to make sacrifices to protect their city in the wake of utter destruction, why should residents of Fargo not be asked to make similar sacrifices?

Pretending that dikes and floodwalls are inherently ugly things is wrong. Sure they can be unattractive if they aren't done right. The Fargo diversion group's website states that "The dikes, floodwall and such things are unsightly." Really? Have Mr. Schafer, Mr. Burgum, Mr. Offutt, or Mr. Scheel ever visited the Grand Forks Greenway system? Is a giant park bordering the river unsightly? If they did visit, they would find a massive system of well-maintained parks and trails that sees plenty of use and has actually focused attention towards the river instead of detracting from it. In fact, the Red River corridor in Grand Forks went from being something that outside of the downtown area was virtually hidden in backyards to being a public place that anyone in Grand Forks can enjoy.

So if the dikes and floodwalls in Grand Forks provide a more than adequate level of protection while at the same time creating an attractive and massive system of public parks, why would a similar system in Fargo be something to frown upon? Grand Forks went through a horrific disaster and responded by building an expensive but reasonably priced flood control system that protects the city and enhances quality of life for many. Fargo had a very close call and now a group of men with powerful and wealthy names want to respond by spending massive amounts of money to build a system that would offer essentially the same level of protection found in Grand Forks but that would also "protect the view" for a select few.

It may be childish of me, but it basically boils down to this: if it's good enough for Grand Forks, why isn't it good enough for Fargo?

New strip mall coming to EGF

East Grand Forks will soon be home to a new strip mall. The mall will be built directly west of Hugo's on 14th Street NE. The mall will offer around five spaces ranging in sizes from 1,500 to 3,000 square feet.

What types of businesses would you like to see locate in this new strip mall? What stores or restaurants should take a look at adding a location in East Grand Forks?

Where those new railyards could go

So, if we did have millions of dollars just sitting somewhere...or maybe if we were God...where would we reroute those railroad tracks and just where would we put those new railyards? I'm thinking rerouting the lines north of town would be the most logical. Below is a little map I put together showing two possible routes that I came up with. The colored lines are the tracks and the squares show potential sites for the railyards. What do you think?

More on that railyard redevelopment...

 A few months ago, I introduced my idea (pipedream?) of redeveloping the BNSF railyards in the center of Grand Forks. I really do see this as sort of Grand Forks' manifest destiny.  If we could somehow reroute the railroad outside of the present city limits, we would have a vast swath of land located directly between UND and the downtown area.  Think of just how Grand Forks could be transformed if we could develop a new mixed-use neighborhood right in the heart if the city.

Incredibly ambitious?  For sure.  A project of such a scale that much larger cities would cringe at the costs and work involved?  Probably.  Impossible?  Never.  The nation's economy may have soured and the local economy - a bright spot in the country - may not be what it was a year or two ago, but times will eventually change.  Why not start planning now for an ambitious future that could be on our doorstep.  For that matter, I'm not entirely sure that the current economic conditions would be entirely prohibitive for a project like this.  Money will soon be flowing out of Washington for projects not so different than this.  Could this current stimulus bill or a future outlay of federal funds play a role in a railyard redevelopment project for Grand Forks?  You never know.

After all, a project like I'm talking about would put many people to work for many, many years.  Of course there are almost insurmountable obstacles in the way of such a total redevelopment of the railyards.  Rerouting the rails would probably cost tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars.  Then there would be many properties that would need to be acquired.  Also, an extensive network of streets and utilities would have to be put in place.  Look at the possible street network that I've come up with...

A street system like that (three or four miles in total) would cost a small fortune.  In all, I think my previous "$100 million dollar" talk was a little short-sighted.  We're probably talking several times that.  Of course, not all of this would have to be done in one big swoop of construction.  The railyards would have to be rerouted and the existing rails would have to be removed before new construction could take place, but the street system could be built gradually over time.

Also, we're not talking about one entity hear.  I'm talking about a group of parties including the city, the county, the state, UND, BNSF, the federal government, local developers, banks, private investors, and who knows who else.  In fact, the biggest obstacle probably wouldn't be the cost...I think it would be the years of work it could take to bring all of the parties together and get them to work for the same outcome.

In a future post, I'll show you just how I would divide up all that land.  Let me know what you think about my ideas (and the realities) of how Grand Forks might go about redeveloping the BNSF railyards.

Reba and Kelly in Grand Forks

Reba and Kelly in Grand Forks. No, I don't mean next month's concert at Ralph Engelstad Arena. Yes, country superstar Reba McEntire and American Idol season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson are coming to the Ralph on October 23, but the two singers have already become rather familiar with the Grand Cities. That's because, according to the word on the street, Reba and Kelly spent a couple of days in Grand Forks last week.

The second leg of the 2 Worlds 2 Voices tour kicked off on September 25th in Winnipeg at the MTS Centre. Rumor has it that - for whatever reason - Reba and Kelly stayed in Grand Forks last week before their Winnipeg concert. Apparently, numerous reports around Grand Forks had the two performers staying at the Canad Inn, eating at downtown restaurants, and even catching a movie at East Grand Forks' River Cinema 12.

Kind of cool, huh?

DLG set to disband

I've been informed that the Downtown Leadership Group (or DLG) will be disbanding after this year's Grand Cities ArtFest. According to the group's website, the DLG "is dedicated to development and promotion of downtown Grand Forks and East Grand Forks." Formed in the wake of the flood of 1997 to pump new life into the downtown areas, the DLG has evolved into a group whose focus is almost exclusively to organize the annual ArtFest. According to my source, the North Valley Arts Council (or NOVAC) will oversee the ArtFest in future years.

Bob Brooks passes away

Many if you have probably already heard the news. Grand Forks City Council member and East Grand Forks City Administrator Bob Brooks has died unexpectedly. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

The big winners of 2007

The year 2007 was a good year for the Greater Grand Forks business scene. The swarms of Canadians that have routinely been swamping Grand Forks' commercial districts each weekend have pumped new money into the community. On top of this, several new businesses opened their doors this past year.

Interestingly enough, the big success stories in the 2007 Grand Forks business community were not those of corporate giants like Wal-Mart. That having been said, of course the big-box retailers in town not only held their own, but flourished during the past year. However, I would argue that the big success stories of the year came in the form of a long awaited project that has been viewed as an integral part of this city's economic success and in the form of a homegrown entertainment venue that is giving the "big boys" some serious competition and pumping new life into a part of the community that needed it.

Of the new business in town, the Canad Inn certainly is the hardest to ignore. The 13-story tower on 42nd Street has become a visible landmark for the community and the big parking lots surrounding the complex are routinely near capacity. Discussion went on for years concerning whether or not such a complex would be a success. In the end, the Canad Inn has become a huge success story - not only for the company but for the community as well. The flocks of Canadian shoppers that have been coming to Grand Forks have been helping to fill the hotel's rooms. A drive through the parking lot on any given weekend will show that more than half of the cars bear Canadian license plates. So far, the success of the Canad Inn has not spelled doom for existing hotels in town. In fact, a new 100-room hotel is currently being built not very far south of the Canad complex and Canad itself has apparently not even ruled out a second hotel complex in the metropolitan area.

The state of Greater Grand Forks' movie theaters has been a common complaint on this blog. Many readers have complained about what they see as dirty theaters, poor management, and high prices coupled with Carmike Cinema's local monopoly. For those disgruntled moviegoers, their "savior" arrived this year in the form of local businessman Bob Moore and his new River Cinema 12 located in East Grand Forks' Riverwalk Centre. According to virtually anyone you ask the new movie theater has been a resounding success in its first month of operation. Not only is this theater giving new options to residents; it is also pumping money and vibrancy into our metropolitan area's central business district.

In 2007, the "winners" were not the Holiday Inns or Carmike Cinemas of this community. Instead, the real winners were the homegrown businesses such as the Canad Inn and the River Cinema. Many readers of this blog routinely chastise some of us for focusing too much attention on national chains. I'm happy to say that 2007 saw successes in both chains and locally-owned ventures. Let's hope that healthy mix continues in 2008.

The streets of 2035

The Grand Forks Metropolitan Planning Organization is working on a long term plan of what the metropolitan area's streets and highways may look like circa 2035. The plan outlines a number of improvements to the current transportation network in both Grand Forks and East Grand Forks. I think it's always fascinating to think about what our community may look like several decades from now. Click here to take a look at the PDF file of the preliminary 2035 plan.

Some of the projects listed in the preliminary 2035 plan are different than those previously outlined in the current long term transportation plan that the MPO has been using. Among the more notable changes is that the 2035 plan no longer recommends widening both Columbia Road and 32nd Avenue into six-lanes (plus a turn lane). Instead, the new plan recommends making improvements to selected intersections along the corridor to relieve traffic congestion.

The plan separates projects into short-term, mid-term, and long-term categories. The following is an outline of what transportation improvements the MPO is considering for each time period. Keep in mind that this list only includes major changes to the transportation network...it doesn't include general maintenance projects such as reconstructing broken streets.

Short-term (0-5 years):
•Extending 48th Street from the Industrial Park to 32nd Avenue...this is part of the city's plan to expand the Industrial Park
•Upgrading the system of traffic lights downtown...I assume this means synchronizing the lights to minimize stopping and starting
•Gateway Drive "access management"
•Improvements to the intersection of 5th Avenue NW and Gateway Drive in EGF

Mid-term (6-15 years):
•Merrifield Road interchange with I-29 and Merrifield Road bridge acrss the Red River...both projects are expected to cost a total of $35+ million dollars in that day's dollars
•A 17th Avenue South overpass spanning I-29...note that this does not currently include an interchange with I-29
•Totally realigning the way 42nd Street meets up with 32nd Avenue South and rebuilding the northbound ramps onto I-29...I'm not sure how this thing is going to work...sounds like a potentially messy intersection
•Widening 42nd Street to four-lanes from 17th Avenue South to the 32nd Avenue area
•Widening 47th Avenue South to three-lanes between Columbia Road and Washington Street
•Adding a roundabout at the intersection of 24th Avenue South and 34th Street
•Adding a traffic signal at intersection of Columbia Road and 36th Avenue South...also includes eliminating the break in Columbia Road's median which currently allows traffic to cross Columbia from SuperOne to Wal-Mart...this intersection would become a "3/4 access" intersection
•Adding a third southbound lane on Columbia Road from DeMers Avenue ramp to 17th Avenue South
•Adding double left-turn lanes at all approaches to intersection of Columbia Road and 17th Avenue South
•Adding additional eastbound and westbound through lanes at intersection of DeMers Avenue and Washington Street
•Extending northbound ramp at I-29 and DeMers Avenue
•Widening Central Avenue from 17th Street to 23th Street in EGF

Long-term (16-28 years):
•A new bridge spanning the Red River at 32nd Avenue South...expected to cost $48 million in that day's dollars
•A new east-west arterial road connecting the new 32nd Avenue Bridge to Bygland Road in EGF
•A 42nd Street overpass or underpass at DeMers Avenue/railroad...expected to cost $40 million in that time's dollars
•Widening 32nd Avenue to four-lanes from 48th Street to 52nd Street
•Widening Columbia Road to four-lanes from 36th Avenue South to 50th Avenue South
•Widening South Washington Street to four-lanes from 48th Avenue South to 57th Avenue South
•New traffic signals along DeMers Avenue at intersections with I-29 ramps and 48th Street

Update - 9/24/2007 - 1:20 AM
Tu-Uyen Tran has a story in Monday's paper about the 2035 transportation plan. How come no mention of that pesky roundabout?

Poll results: high hopes

When asked "In your opinion, will the new EGF movie theater be a success?", a majority of the 172 voters answered "yes." Check out the full results...

Selection		Votes
Yes	56%	97
No	13%	23
Too early to tell	30%	52

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.

Poll: EGF movie theater

The new poll question is "In your opinion, will the new EGF movie theater be a success?" Please vote and then share your opinions in this post's comment section.

Ten Years Later

This is the Grand Forks Life Flood of 1997 Anniversary thread. Share your memories and thoughts of the defining event in Grand Forks-East Grand Forks history.

MPR wants your flood memories

Allison Herrera of Minnesota Public Radio's Public Insight Network has asked me to post a request for you - the readers of this blog and the residents of the Grand Forks/East Grand Forks community - to share your memories of the 1997 flood and how it changed you.

According to Herrera, "Minnesota Public Radio wants to know what you remember about the great flood of 1997. We're seeking people's personal accounts of the disaster. We're doing a piece on April 18th on the mid-morning show that involves the people who were actually there."

To share your memories (MPR is looking for both text and images), simply click here and fill out a simple form.

Open Thread #9

What's on your minds?

Finished your Christmas shopping, decorating, baking, etc. yet? I'm guessing the answer is "No"...am I right?

Topics covered: RiverWalk Center troubles, Texas Roadhouse opening date, Denny's coming to town

"Quite a comeback"

The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis has several interesting articles in their online "FedGazette" publication about Grand Forks and its recovery from the Flood of '97.

•"High and dry"
•"To save a city"
•"Who needs downtowns, anyway?"
•"Selected state and federal flood-recovery expenditures, Greater Grand Forks"

What's up at the Riverwalk?

I'm sure we are all well aware of the poor financial record of East Grand Forks' city owned mall, The Riverwalk Center. The city purchased the mall after the Flood of 1997 with the hopes that it would attract businesses and people to the downtown area. It did that...for about a year. The first year or two after the flood actually was a pretty good time for the mall. It had low (or no) vacancy and there was a steady stream of shoppers. Then, that all but dried up overnight. Today, this very small mall has high vacancy, few shoppers, and tenants who haven't paid their bills for literally years (does the city seriously think they will ever see any of that money???). The city would like to sell the property, but this isn't possible at least until next year because federal funds were used to purchase the mall and federal law requires the city to keep the property for at least ten years after the flood...which brings us to 2007. East Grand Forks mayor Lynn Stauss has publicly lamented that the Riverwalk Center was one of the city's...and his...biggest mistakes in the wake of the flood.

Now comes news that "something" is up at the Riverwalk Center. There is a persistent rumor going around that many of the mall's tenants will be leaving the mall and moving over to the Grand Cities Mall in Grand Forks. However, the rumor also has it that it wasn't the businesses decision to leave the Riverwalk Center...the city is asking them to move. Word is that "something" wants to come in and take over most of the mall space. A new store? Perhaps a department store? I know that Herbergers has been sought in the past. Also, it seems that a couple of the tenants do not want to leave the mall and it is plausible that the largest tenant in the mall...I think we all know what that is...would simply close up if they were forced to leave the mall. Like I said, this is all just a rumor right now. However, it is a very interesting rumor in light of all of the construction and development going on in the downtown area of Grand Forks. A department store down there could bring more people to the area. Guess we'll have to see just how true this rumor is.

Update - 5/17/2006
Jack's Shoes appears to be in the process of leaving the Riverwalk Center and moving to the Grand Cities Mall. Also, WDAZ just aired a story about the mall's woes, but didn't say anything about any possible new tenants. I should not that reporter Lacey Crisp was wrong when she said that the city would keep the mall for ten more years and then maybe sell it. As stated in my original post above, the ten years that the city is talking about started in 1997...not 2006. That means that the ten years are up next year...not 2016.

Big box boom?

New Target store in south Fargo?
New Wal-Mart store in south Fargo?
New Wal-Mart in Dilworth? (albeit, replacing an existing store)

With headlines like these about Wal-Mart and Target, two of the nation's largest retailers, potentially opening additional stores in the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area, it makes me wonder how long it will be before we hear about a second Wal-Mart or maybe even another Target in Greater Grand Forks. Bismarck-Mandan (very similar in size to Greater Grand Forks) is also in the process of getting a second Wal-Mart store. If Fargo-Moorhead is going to have three Wal-Marts and Bismarck-Mandan is going to have two Wal-Marts, it seems quite plausible that the company might think of opening another store in Grand Forks-East Grand Forks. I'm not saying that another Wal-Mart would be a good thing or a bad thing, but it is a possibility that seems more and more like an eventual likelihood.

I'm trying to think of locations where they could build one...East Grand Forks? Maybe somewhere in the Gateway Drive corridor? Any part of town that they put a new Wal-Mart in is bound to see other retailers move in making the area another commercial center like 32nd Avenue.

I can't see us getting another Target anytime soon seeing as how our current Target store is a SuperTarget.