The Minot City Council on Tuesday accepted the proposal of Edgewood to build on top of the ramp and finish the ground-level commercial space.

“We have a lot of deep roots within the city of Minot, and this is not just a legacy project for the City of Minot but it is for our company,” said Roger Domres, a founder of Edgewood with roots in Minot. “This is about leaving something better in the community than they’ve seen before.”

Danny Hanson, a Minot native and Edgewood’s executive vice president, said the company operates in 14 states. In Minot, Edgewood has eight properties that include 1,134 apartment units, 196-bed memory care and assisted living units and more than 50,000 feet of commercial space.

Brittany Dawson, project architect with Craftwell, said plans for the downtown “5 Central” include 142 apartment units on the first four floors. The upper floor would have either high-end or condo units and several outdoor patio areas, a fitness center and club rooms.

Options for the 13,000 feet of commercial space include residential lounges open to the public with coffee or food kiosks and a fitness center with sauna, she said. Edgewood owns the Bremer Bank building across the street and is looking at constructing a skywalk and adding other amenities in the bank building.

Hanson said the cost is estimated at $30 million to $35 million.

Edgewood is proposing to purchase the Central ramp and is asking for a 15-year tax abatement. City Manager Harold Stewart said the city doesn’t have a mechanism for that type of abatement but could look at Tax Increment Financing.

That government assistance raised the concern of one Minot resident, who spoke later in the meeting. Scott Samuelson told the council those tax breaks come with a cost.

“You need to look at all the tools that you’re using in the toolbox and what it’s costing us as citizens,” he said. “You need to start looking at the taxpayers, average people in this community, and what it’s costing us,”

The council voted 6-0 to approve Edgewood’s concept, moving it to the next phase of consideration. It also voted to require attorney review and a financial analysis of any agreement.

Council member Lisa Olson said she has been impressed by Edgewood’s successes with other projects in North Dakota.

“I also think that the presentation offered something new to Minot, something different that we don’t have,” she said.

The city also had sought proposals for the Renaissance parking structure and received a proposal from EPIC Companies, which also offered a proposal for the Central structure.

EPIC offered its vision for a hotel above the Renaissance ramp and a $34.85 million, four-story housing complex called Borealis Apartments above the Central ramp, with 144 apartments and residential amenities such as a community room, fitness room, game room and terraces with outdoor patio space. It also proposed skyways to City Hall and M by EPIC, or the Big M building.

The four-story, $20.78 million I M A G I N E Hotel by EPIC included 175 hotel rooms, commercial space and 12,000 square feet of convention center. EPIC planned to seek Tax Increment Financing, according to information released by the city.

Concerns of a committee that reviewed the proposals included the lack of a national hotel brand to attract travelers and competition with existing hotel convention space that already is struggling. Another concern was the impact that development of the Renaissance ramp would have on the city employee parking and a proposed transit transfer center in the structure.

Council members generally were reluctant to take on development of both ramps at once.

“We have to test the market. We have to wait and see if the city of Minot can bear this,” council member Paul Pitner said. “Let’s dip our toes in the water. Let’s feel this out.”

“I think going carefully and slowly makes the most sense,” council member Stephan Podrygula added.

The council voted to move forward with installing a transit transfer center in the Renaissance structure.

Jason Sorenson, acting Public Works director, laid out several other downtown location options for a transit center and listed their drawbacks. He noted a location in the Renaissance ramp will displace planned retail space and create a need for parking realignment, but it is a less expensive option as a city-owned, existing structure. He estimated it could be operational in six months. The city also has a state grant for the project at that location.

Pitner cast the only vote against the idea, questioning a plan that reduces valuable street parking to make room for buses. He added he would rather see private development of the ramp than a government presence.

“I do still believe downtown is the best location for a transit center,” he said. “It’s just the parking structures – I have hesitancy with our ability to further develop them down the line if we back ourselves into a corner with this decision.”

Council member Scott Burlingame supported the transit center but also voiced concern about the size of the government footprint downtown, citing talk about moving the police station and municipal court as well.

“The more that we do that, the more that we create less economic activity within downtown,” he said.