Jill Schramm/MDN A vehicle drives under the lifted exit arm as it leaves the Renaissance parking ramp. The City of Minot is seeking proposals for enhanced development of the two downtown ramps.

The City of Minot wants to hear developers’ ideas for enhancing Minot’s two downtown parking ramps. The Minot City Council on Monday voted to advertise for proposals for enhanced development of the Renaissance and Central parking ramp properties.

The ramps were built with the intention of offering commercial space around the perimeter and multiple floors of apartments above. Financing issues plagued the project and development stalled once the parking portions were built. The city successfully sued the developer, Cyprus Development, to recoup unpaid rent and excess construction costs. The city currently operates the ramps that opened in 2016.

Regarding the likelihood of finding a developer, city economic developer Jonathan Rosenthal said there’s no easy way to assess the level of interest, although there has been some shown. Putting out a request for proposals is one way to assess that interest, he added.

Rosenthal estimated it will take about five months to go through the process of advertising, reviewing proposals and then digging deeper into the top proposals, getting actual drawings, costs and finding out what type of financial incentives would be expected from the city.

“We need to take time to be more specific, really know what’s involved, and then make a final decision,” he said.

“We also need to be sure that we’re vetting whoever the developer is,” council member Mark Jantzer said. “As we know from past experience, that’s critical.”

“It is absolutely critical that any proposals be adequately vetted, given the fiasco and the very negative reaction that the public had with the previous projects,” council member Stephan Podrygula added. “We really can’t make a mistake on this – just the general importance of downtown and the opportunities to properties it might bring but also in terms of the level of confidence that was lost and the conflict that occurred when we first embarked on the ramps.”

Podrygula said once a strong proposal is identified, he would ask for an outside law firm specializing in public-private partnerships to vet it further.

“It’s that important, I think, that we get it right,” he said.

City Finance Director David Lakefield reminded the council of the federal dollars the city spent on the ramps’ construction, which can be a factor if selling the ramps. Certain types of projects may require sealed bids, he explained.

“I think it would behoove us to clarify that prior to putting this out on the street,” he said of a request for proposals. “I just don’t want companies to put a lot of effort and time and money into coming up with a proposal that we later learn is impossible for us to accommodate.”

Originally, the plan was to provide a ground lease to a developer who would own the vertical rights. The city is open to considering either the sale or leasing of rights to develop above the parking garages.

According to information from the city, monthly pass holders range from 65 to 75 vehicles for the two ramps. Each three-level garage contains about 94,000 square feet and 199 parking spaces.

The Renaissance Ramp is the southernmost ramp, located at 205 1st St. SW, next to Minot City Hall. The Central Ramp is located at 5 1st St. SW, between Central Avenue West and First Avenue Southwest.

The city uses about 80 parking spaces in the Renaissance structure for employee parking, plus 10 additional spaces for private tenants in the City Hall building. The city estimates between 50 and 75 spaces might be needed for retail and long-term residential uses in the Renaissance ramp.

The city also plans to develop a transit center at the corner of First Street and Second Avenue Southwest.