The City Commission voted 4-1 on Monday, June 22, to select the Fargo Civic Center as the site of Fargo’s future convention center. The plan calls for transforming the existing Civic Center structure at 207 4th St. N. into a convention center within walking distance of more than 50 restaurants and shops, public gathering spaces and year-round events in Downtown Fargo. The project will move forward as a public-private partnership, with The City of Fargo financing the construction of the convention center and the development team financing the construction of a 100-room Marriott Moxy hotel at 222 4th St. N. Fargo’s skyway will connect the new convention center to the new hotel, the existing Radisson Blu (150 rooms) and Jasper (125 rooms) hotels, as well as the City-owned Civic Center Parking Garage.
The project team consists of local and national companies with experience in architecture, engineering, construction, hospitality and event management. It includes EAPC Architects Engineers, Kilbourne Group, Zander Capital Management, McGough Construction, KLJ Engineering, Heyer Engineering, Confluence Landscape Architects, VenuWorks, Folkways, Gensler and Swap Integration. Additional project planning, design and development activities are expected to begin in the coming months. Construction could start as early as 2026, with completion targeted for 2029.
Fargo voters in 2024 authorized an additional 3% tax on hotel and motel stays to fund construction of a new convention center in Fargo. The City Commission subsequently formed a 14-member Convention Center Committee, which included community representatives and City Commission members, to guide the selection process. Nine proposals were initially submitted in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP), and the City Commission voted to advance the Brewhalla and Civic Center proposals into a final review phase. City staff and consultants then completed a comprehensive review of both proposals’ financial operating plans, project feasibility and long-term sustainability. The findings of the review were presented to the City Commission for their consideration ahead of Monday’s vote.