FARGO — In a tightly contested vote, the Fargo City Commission has approved the relocation of the Resource and Recovery Center, formerly the Downtown Engagement Center, to 2001 First Avenue North.
The controversial decision was passed on a motion to approve the lease agreement with Bollinger Enterprises for the new site, despite significant public opposition and concerns about the facility’s accessibility and financial risk.
Commissioners Dave Piepkorn and Michelle Turnberg cast the lone dissenting votes.
Location and lease details
The new location is a large building, offering 54,500 square feet of space, including nearly 11,000 square feet of office space, which officials say will be useful for staff and non-profits. Assistant City Attorney Eric Johnson highlighted key terms of the proposed lease:
- Term: A two-year lease agreement, reduced from an initial three-year proposal. The short term is intended to allow the facility to “establish footing” and to potentially allow for another move if the nearby Brewhalla convention center project moves forward.
- Rent: The base rent is $6.50 per square foot, totaling just over $350,000 per year.
- Fit-Up Costs: The building requires significant “fit-up” work, with one commissioner estimating the cost at “at least a million dollars”.
- Funding Caveat: The project relies heavily on private donations, which the FM Area Foundation will manage as a fiscal agent. Crucially, the city has an opt-out option if the private funding cannot be secured.
Public Outcry
Public speakers at the meeting were overwhelmingly against the First Avenue North site. Olivia Fischer, a Fargo resident, called the location the “least accessible option” and argued that the process favored business owners over the unsheltered.
Fischer pointed out the dramatic increase in walking time for unsheltered residents to access vital resources from the proposed site compared to the current downtown location:
- Salvation Army (free hot meal): About a 28-minute walk.
- Library (internet access for housing): About a 31-minute walk.
- Harm Reduction Center (lifesaving supplies): About a 35-minute walk.
Denise Vanderbush, president of Open Door 65, echoed the concerns, stating that the homeless would not simply “disappear” from downtown and urged the Commission to implement transport services to the new, distant location.
Piepkorn fires back regarding financials
The financial model, relying on hypothetical private funding, led to a fiery exchange among commissioners.
Piepkorn blasted the plan as “inexcusable,” pointing out that the lease is being signed by the Mayor, putting “the taxpayers of Fargo are on the hook” for the annual rent and fit-up costs.
He also highlighted the risk of spending a million dollars on fit-up only to have to move again soon if the nearby Brewhalla convention center (one of four finalists) is approved, leading to construction right across the street.
A “trial” to fix a “national issue”
Commissioners who supported the motion emphasized that the current model is not working, and this relocation is an attempt to create a different approach—a “pilot” for a resource and referral center. Commissioner John Strand advanced the motion and called the issue a “national issue” that has landed on Fargo’s Main Street, urging the commission to give it a “two-year trial” to succeed.
Mayor Tim Mahoney stated the new model is an attempt to provide better services, get people into treatment for mental health and addiction, and create something that “can be duplicated throughout the state”. The Mayor concluded the debate by stating they would look at the data in two years to determine if the new direction is working.
