Convention Center Committee Meeting Minutes - September 26, 2025
Present: Katlyn Balstad, Charley Johnson, Mallari Ackerman, Clare Hughes, Joe Raso, Kent Kolstad, Emma McIntyre, Taylor Snelling, Denise Kolpack, Tim Mahoney, Dave Piepkorn, Michelle Turnberg, Shannon Full (via conference call).
Absent: John Strand.
Others Present: Jim Gilmour, Assistant City Attorney Erik Johnson.
Charley Johnson asked the Commissioners who chose not to score to explain their decision and clarify their continuing participation/voting status.
• Commissioner Kolpack said she felt it was a conflict to score as a committee member and then be one of five commissioners making the final decision. She will, however, support the Committee's decision on which projects to forward to the Commission.
• Commissioner Turnberg agreed stating that it felt "a bit odd" to vote on the Committee and then make the final decision. She said she is well informed, having listened to every presentation.
• Mayor Mahoney noted the Committee is unusual for having five Commissioners. The difficulty is that if three Commissioners agree in the Committee's assessment, it could look "fixed" to the public, implying the "top dog" is
pre-chosen. He said it felt it was better to let the Committee make its decision, which will then be debated at the Commission.
• Commissioner Piepkorn, who did score, stated the purpose of being on the Committee is to score/vote and questioned the courage of those who chose not to.
The Committee reviewed the aggregate scoring, noting the results were presented as a percentage from Bonfire, which is calculated differently than the HVS scoring, though the order is the same.
Rank of the Proposed Sites:
1. Brewhalla site - Mutchler Bartram 82.93%
2. Scheels Arena site - Enclave presentation 80.53%
3. FARGODOME site - RLE Fargo 77.4%
4. Civic Center/Downtown site - EAPC 77.24%
5. West Acres site - Hemple 73%
6. I-94/I-29 Crossroads site - (Garfield Public Private) 71.67%
7. Noridian site - Hemple 71.23%
8. Lake Fargo site 71.05%
9. Delta Hotel site 65.09%
A natural break point was observed between the top four (77.24%) and number five (73%), a four-point difference. It was noted that both the Committee’s aggregate scoring and the HVS consultant's ranking resulted in the same top four projects, though the internal order differed.
Mr. Johnson said the Committee's goal is to narrow the selection to three or possibly four finalists and the hope is to have a proposal to advance to the Fargo City Commission meeting on October 13th.
Commissioner Piepkorn said he felt the current process was being rushed and that members needed time to digest the numbers and share their perspectives.
Key Discussion Points on Criteria and Concerns:
• School District/Tax Base: Concerns were raised that some sites (such as Scheels Arena) would benefit West Fargo by falling outside the Fargo School District boundaries, meaning lodging tax would not go into the project, even though Fargo residents are paying for the Convention Center. It was noted this was not an original criterion but came up during discussions.
• Resource/Referral Center: Commissioner Piepkorn raised concerns that a potential "vagrant enabling center" (Resource and Recovery Center) across the street from the Brewhalla site would be "disastrous." A clarification was made that a proposed site for the Resource and Recovery Center is only a two-year lease, making it unlikely to go there, and thus should not influence the Brewhalla site’s merits.
• Need for Discussion/Transparency: Multiple members stressed the importance of having an open discussion to provide transparency to the public about the pros and cons of each site and the reasons for the decision. The Committee agreed to share all members' scoring comments (without names) before the next meeting.
• Integrity of the Process: Shannon Full, who had different top four projects, stated she would not try to convince the majority of the other members to think otherwise, to respect the integrity of the process and the consensus of the scoring.
• Financial Viability: The Mayor stated that the City Commission will focus on the financial viability and success of the project, including how much the City of Fargo would ultimately have to contribute. All developers were aware of the available public funds ($37 to $41 million).
• Visitor Experience: Mallari Ackerman and Mr. Johnson stressed the ultimate purpose is for the chosen site to provide the best visitor experience for conventioneers, driving a desire for them to return and spread positive word-of-mouth.
Next Steps and Homework:
• Review HVS Analysis and Comments: Members will review the HVS SWOT analysis and the compiled scoring comments from the Committee.
• Define Phase 2 RFP Requirements: Members should consider any weaknesses in the top four proposals or strong ideas from lower-ranked proposals that should be addressed in the second phase RFP. The goal is to ask the finalists for more detail on financing and other clarifications.
• Vote on Finalists: The Committee is expected to vote on a motion to advance the top three or four finalists at the next meeting. This list will then be submitted to the City
Commission for approval before the Phase 2 RFP is issued.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:52 p.m.