Convention Center Committee Meeting - October 31, 2025

Present: Katlyn Balstad, Charley Johnson, Mallari Ackerman, Clare Hughes, Joe Raso, Kent Kolstad, Emma McIntyre, Taylor Snelling, Denise Kolpack, Tim Mahoney, Dave Piepkorn, Shannon Full, Michelle Turnberg.
Absent: John Strand.
Others Present: Jim Gilmour, Assistant City Attorney Erik Johnson, Shirley Hughes.

Charley Johnson initiated a discussion regarding significant public questions about the EAPC Downtown proposal, which had moved from the Library parking lot to the Civic Center site. He said that he does not view the change as a site change, but rather a move to a different corner repurposing the Civic Auditorium. He recommended letting the process continue and allowing all four finalists to submit second-round proposals.

Mayor Mahoney and Assistant City Attorney Erik Johnson confirmed that the four finalists were already approved by the City Commission and this body can only make recommendations.

Erik Johnson confirmed that allowing the proposal to remain in the process is not a violation of the original RFP. He noted that the standard
is to act in a reasonable manner.

Committee Consensus:
• Emma McIntyre expressed confidence in moving the proposal forward, citing that the project is on the same block, under the same ownership and the change did not negatively impact her scoring rubric.
• Joe Raso agreed, noting that some of the criteria for the new location would actually score higher and strengthen the proposal.
• The Committee found the risk to the City to be minimal and felt that continuing with the four projects maintained the integrity of the process.

No motion was made. The consensus of the Committee was to move forward with the four finalists into the next round of scoring and recommendation to the City Commission.

FARGODOME Project
The development team comprised of David Suppes (Fargo Dome Authority), Rick Steen (Fargo Dome Authority), Rich Wiemken (RLE), Rob Sobolik (FARGODOME) and David Cook (North Dakota State University).

Project Size Clarification:
The team corrected a misrepresentation, stating the Convention Center project's total square footage is 110,000 sq. ft.., not 66,000 sq. ft. The total includes the 50,000 sq. ft. ballroom, a 40,000 sq. ft. pre-function area, 7,000 sq. ft. of kitchen space and 10,000 sq. ft. of mechanical/circulation space.
Additional Meeting Space:
The initial design has been updated to include more than 8,000 sq. ft. of additional meeting room space across two levels, located right across the hall from the existing space, in addition to the 50,000 sq. ft. ballroom.
Skyway/Hotel Connection:
The skyway connection from the hotel was moved to come directly off the main lobby. The skyway to the hotel is included, while a potential skyway between the hotel and the "SHAC" is a separate future development.
Scheduling/Double-Booking:
The NDSU football schedule is set three years in advance.
The operations team is comfortable with double-booking a football game and a convention, anticipating they could have a conference on a football Saturday as long as the event is contained.
Booking of events happens 18 months to two years in advance, working with Visit Fargo Moorhead.
Management & Staffing:
The team acknowledged the need for enhanced management, including sales and marketing staff, to work jointly with Visit Fargo Moorhead and that the budget for the next phase would outline the costs for appropriate staffing levels.

Enclave Project
The development team comprised of Austin Morris (Enclave Development), Jon Kram (Metro Sports Foundation), Steve Martodam (Brandt Hospitality Group), Rob Svedberg (TVS), Paul McKeever (TVS).

West Fargo School District:
Is there a benefit to the West Fargo School District?
No, as the Convention Center is on non-taxed Park District land. Private development in the area is in the district.
Science Museum:
What is the impact of the Science Museum locating on Lot 5?
They are excited; they see it as a win and will have 7,500 sq. ft. of flex space that can be used for conventions.
Egress/Fire Safety:
How will the team deal with fire exits and capacity if more people are seated closer together at a convention compared to a hockey game?
The building's capacity is set at 7,000 people. It's about how many can be on the arena floor (set capacity) versus in the seating; chairs and other things would not exceed the capacity.
Tax Incentives (PILOT):
Is a PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) necessary for the hotel and how would that be managed?
The team is not asking for a PILOT if one isn't needed. If one is required, they would seek a third-party study to determine the gap. If a PILOT is received and the hotel outperforms its proforma early, the PILOT would be incrementally reduced on a pro-rata basis.
Location/Hotel Proximity:
Why is the hotel not closer to the Convention Center?
The current location was chosen for land control, as other closer land is controlled by Family Wellness and Sanford (The Bubble). The current location offers a more pleasant user experience by being next to Urban Plains Park.
Naming Rights Contingency:
The $1.5M-$5M is the proposed value they feel could be achieved. They would lobby to sell naming rights to help with construction or ongoing operations, but the group may prefer to keep it as "Fargo Convention Center.”
Biggest Challenge:
The budget challenge remains for all four proposers. The team feels they have distinct advantages in land control, infrastructure and operational efficiencies to attain the lowest possible budget.

The second-round instructions for the finalists are anticipated to be available by November 11th or 12th.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:07 p.m.