Site work and new construction of a conference / convention center in Fargo, North Dakota. Completed plans call for the construction of a conference / convention center; and for site work for a conference / convention center.

https://www.inforum.com/news/fargo/financing-hiccup-surfaces-in-1-of-4-refreshed-proposals-to-build-fargos-new-convention-center FARGO — One of four final proposals from developers vying to build the new Fargo Convention Center raises a possible financial hiccup — tied to North Dakota State University’s recent move to the highest level of college football. The “funding adjustment” appears in RLE Architecture Interiors’ proposal to build the convention center next to the Fargodome, home to Bison football. Keep Watching NDSU announced a move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision level from the Football Championship Subdivision in early February, weeks after convention center developers had already submitted initial proposals. Final proposals were due Friday, Feb. 27, and now, the 14-member Convention Center Committee, led by Charley Johnson, will determine a favorite among the four. While he said he couldn’t comment on any proposal in particular, the financial aspects of each will get more scrutiny at this stage. “That will certainly become a factor as we get down to the nitty-gritty,” Johnson said. The latest Fargodome convention center proposal starts with a note from Fargo Dome Authority President David Suppes, explaining funding gaps have arisen that could require additional public investment, alternative funding solutions and/or possibly revisiting the overall convention center project. In the letter, Suppes said the Dome Authority was willing, early on, to pledge a “significant amount” of funds from the Fargodome Permanent Fund toward the convention center, and budgeted for significant improvements to the existing Fargodome facility. However, he said NDSU’s position is that those dollars should go solely to Fargodome renovations, not the convention center, especially given NDSU’s move up to FBS. In addition, this new wrinkle could impact a land lease between NDSU and the Dome Authority that has to be revised to allow the Convention Center project to go forward. “As a result, the path to amend the current land lease could now be more challenging than previously understood,” Suppes said in the letter. The letter goes on to say the funding adjustment “does not diminish the viability or the strategic strength of the Fargodome site.” Contacted by The Forum, Suppes said he would reserve further comment until their next presentation before the committee. The Scheels Arena and downtown Civic Center sites have committee presentations on Friday, March 6, while the Fargodome and Brewhalla sites present on Tuesday, March 10. 1-eapc_downtown_fargo_convention_center_-_phase_2_page-0001.jpg A rendering of a convention center built on the current Fargo Civic Center site is included in a proposal by EAPC Architects Engineers. Contributed / City of Fargo “I think it's going to be intense. I think the discussions are going to be extremely interesting. I have full faith in the committee, including the city commissioners, to discuss this in an open-minded and forthright fashion,” Johnson said. Construction of the $41 million convention center will be funded by an additional 3% tax on hotel and motel stays, in effect for 25 years, approved by Fargo voters in 2024. The city will finance the convention center while the developer covers the cost of the adjacent private development. The committee is expected to forward a top selection and a No. 2 alternate to the City Commission by the end of March or early April, or later, depending on how discussions go, Johnson said. Here are highlights from each of the developers’ final proposals: Scheels Arena Enclave’s plans for the Convention Center at Urban Plains, next to Scheels Arena , are laid out in a 146-page proposal, the longest of the four. 1-convention_center_phase_ii_final_page-0003.jpg A rendering of a convention center attached to Scheels Arena appears in a proposal from developer Enclave.Contributed / City of Fargo It states the convention center would be delivered “entirely within the city’s $41 million allocation.” There would be no acquisition costs on the city-owned land, which “significantly enhances the project’s financial viability,” the developer said. The convention center could be directly integrated with Scheels Arena through shared staffing, food and beverage service, and parking. IMG_0299.jpg A rendering of a convention center built next to Scheels Arena is included in a proposal from developer Enclave.Contributed / City of Fargo A $39 million, privately funded Tempo Hilton hotel would be built east of Scheels Arena, offering 150 rooms. An entertainment district would include restaurants, retail, landscaped plazas, interactive public spaces, water features and outdoor seating. Developers would partner with the Plains Art Museum to provide art for the convention facility. 1-convention_center_phase_ii_final_page-0001.jpg A rendering for a convention center and hotel next to Scheels Arena is included in a proposal from developer Enclave.Contributed / City of Fargo One difference between this plan and a previous one is that the Fargo-Moorhead Science Museum is no longer included on the site’s footprint, reflecting an adjustment to ensure there’s adequate parking for events. The science museum is still in its early stages of fundraising, and multiple nearby parcels are under consideration, the proposal states. Downtown The EAPC Architects Engineers proposal for downtown Fargo, on the site of the current Civic Center, involves the Kilbourne Group team and multiple other partners. Kilbourne would transform the aging Civic Center into a modern convention facility, which would eliminate around $250,000 in annual operating costs and an estimated $2 million demolition expense, the proposal said. 1-eapc_downtown_fargo_convention_center_-_phase_2_page-0002.jpg A rendering of a convention center on the current Fargo Civic Center site is part of a proposal by EAPC Architects Engineers.Contributed / City of Fargo The Kilbourne project would rely on two existing full-service hotels, the Radisson Blu with 150 rooms and Jasper Hotel at 125 rooms, connected directly to the convention center by skyway. There is also a commitment to expand the downtown hotel inventory by 70 rooms. That could be achieved by adding onto the Radisson Blu vertically or by building a limited-service Marriott or Hilton hotel on a former downtown Fargo Police station site, the proposal states. IMG_0300.jpg A rendering from EAPC Architects Engineers shows a new convention center on the site of the current Fargo Civic Center, with the Fargo Public Library on the left and Fargo City Hall on the right.Contributed / City of Fargo The total project cost would be $46 million, including $5 million supported by the existing Riverfront Tax Increment Financing District. The downtown convention center proposal aims for a Fall 2029 opening. Brewhalla Under a Cityscapes Development plan for the Brewhalla site in the Madison/Unicorn Park neighborhood, land for the convention center and west parking lot would be provided to the city at no cost, the proposal states. Cityscapes requested the city establish a tax increment financing district for the neighborhood, which it said would help fund a bigger facility without adding risk to the city. 1-fargo_convention_center_-_phase_ii_-_final_1_page-0002.jpg A rendering of a convention center and hotel near Brewhalla is part of a proposal from Cityscapes.Contributed / City of Fargo The developer proposes either one of two alternative approaches to bonding the project that increases the total amount to be financed from the city’s initial estimate of $41 million, up to nearly $59 million. Cityscapes plans to secure a Marriott flag for its hotel, offering a total of 148 rooms. The adjacent Brewhalla Hotel would increase on-site lodging capacity by 43 boutique rooms. 1-fargo_convention_center_-_phase_ii_-_final_1_page-0001.jpg A rendering of a hotel near Brewhalla is shown, which is part of a convention center proposal from Cityscapes.Contributed / City of Fargo Like the Scheels Arena site, the Brewhalla site plans a formal partnership with Plains Art Museum for artwork in the facility. A summer 2026 construction start would allow the convention center and hotel to open by spring 2028. Fargodome In addition to the previously mentioned “funding adjustment,” the RLE Architecture Interiors proposal at the Fargodome details potential “synergies” between the two venues. A shared use of parking, security, catering and maintenance services would bring operational savings and offer “unparalleled flexibility for simultaneous or multiphase events,” the proposal said. The Fargodome proposal seeks partnership with one of several hotel flags, including various brands of Hilton and Marriott, and would build 160 rooms over five or six stories. An adjacent entertainment and retail district would include four buildings, each one or two stories tall, all oriented toward an outdoor space called the Town Green, with a presentation stage at the district’s east end. 1-fargodome_convention_center_phase_ii_submittal_fda_page-0001.jpg A rendering from the Fargodome convention center proposal by RLE Architecture Interiors.Contributed / City of Fargo The Fargodome site convention center cost is estimated at $62 million to $70 million, the hotel at $46 million to $50 million, and the entertainment district at $6 million to $13 million, the proposal said. The convention center would open in October 2028, with the hotel and entertainment district opening a few weeks beforehand. While the Convention Center Committee reviews the proposals, community members may also weigh in. Comments on the proposals can be submitted at FargoND.gov/ConventionCenterInput from now until 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 12. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The City of Fargo is issuing this Phase 2 Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Fargo Conference/Convention Center. This will be a public-private partnership with the city financing the convention center and the private developer financing the adjacent private development. This RFP is being distributed publicly for transparency purposes; however, only the four firms selected through the Phase 1 qualifications process are eligible to submit proposals in response to this solicitation. Submissions received from firms not included in the selected group will not be considered. Deadline to submit Questions Jan 2nd 2026, 4:00 PM CST Location : online portal