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Creating resilience

Good becoming better in downtown Minot

Jill Schramm/MDN A historic fountain stands near an intersection in downtown Minot. Re-installed after the Main Street reconstruction in 2016, the fountain is plumbed for water in the summer.

In the 1980s when new malls were luring businesses and shoppers, downtown districts declined as a hub of activity. In Minot, it was a gradual, extended process of decline, but some believe a corner has been turned.

“People are coming back to downtown,” said Roger Reich, president of the Minot Downtown Business & Professional Association.

It’s not the big department stores or national chains that are interested again in downtowns, though. Downtown is returning to the mom-and pop-stores and professional offices that would have been common in the community’s early history.

Resurgence of downtowns is a national phenomena. In communities from Chicago to Fargo, there are efforts to make downtown the focus, because if the downtown is resilient, the rest of the community will be resilient, Reich said.

“I think Minot is doing that,” he said. “Business owners have a great partnership with the city on that. The city is really focused on helping us make it a vibrant community downtown.”

Through its National Disaster Resilience Program, Minot is planning a downtown gathering space. Reich said the desire is not just to have a grassed area but to have a park with a pavilion or amphitheater, picnic areas and recreation, all of which connects with walking paths to other parks in the city.

The recent completion of two parking ramps adds another new feature to downtown. Although the construction history was troubled, the ramps are an asset now that they are in use, Reich said. A three-year downtown infrastructure improvement project that finishes this year also has been difficult for businesses because of the interruption to traffic, but it will be an asset when the streets and utility work are completed, he said.

Businesses are doing their part in making their storefronts attractive, Reich added. There also are downtown supporters determined to keep the central business district thriving. When Wells Fargo moved out of its downtown headquarters, others stepped in to make use of the building.

Chris Lindbo, a downtown property owner, was involved in bringing the concept of collaborative workspace to the Wells Fargo building with the opening of Success Depot last summer. Lindbo said the infrastructure construction has slowed interest in sales of downtown buildings, but that interest is expected to increase again once the construction is done. He said he remains interested in downtown properties because he feels the downtown has a positive future.

“Part of it is faith. But there’s also a part of it that looked at other cities that went through the same thing,” he said. “Every city that was revitalized went through exactly what we are going through.”

Reich, who is executive director for the Minot Commission on Aging, said the commission looked at whether it wanted to continue to be in downtown Minot when it planned its soon-to-be-finished space remodeling at the Parker Center.

“Did it make sense to be in the center of the city? I think it makes perfect sense for us to be here. It’s very centrally located for our volunteers who go out and do the Meals on Wheels program. We use our big space for community events. It makes sense to be down here,” Reich said.

The Parker Center offers upper level residences, as do a number of downtown buildings. From the inception of downtown Minot, housing above the shops was a feature of life. Downtown housing never went away but it has seen a resurgence among residents who want access to downtown for convenience or the lifestyle.

“Whether it’s young people or older people who have sold their homes, they want a smaller footprint,” Reich said.

Some of Minot’s downtown attention recently has turned to keeping Trinity Health properties vital when the day comes that Trinity moves the bulk of its operations to a new location. Other attention is focused on making the downtown attractive today.

“The downtown has tried very, very hard, focusing on different events, not only for adults but for kids,” Reich said.

Stores offer workshops and events, including free events that allow merchants to give back to the community, he said. This summer, the downtown association is partnering with Visit Minot, Minot Park District, Minot Recreation Department and other groups to host summer olympic games that will encompass the entire city.

For Reich, downtown Minot is in a good place but there’s opportunity to move into an even better place.

“I am very positive about where the downtown is, where the community is. I think we are in a good spot,” he said. “I think we are there, and I think we can get better all the time.”

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