Downtown Grand Forks
Encyclopedia
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
. Located on the western bank of the Red River of the North
Red River of the North
The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...
, the downtown neighborhood is situated near the fork of the Red River and the Red Lake River
Red Lake River
The Red Lake River is a river located in northwestern Minnesota. The river begins on the western side of the Lower Red Lake and flows westward. After passing through Thief River Falls, Red Lake Falls, and Crookston, the river merges with the Red River of the North in East Grand Forks. The total...
. While downtown is no longer the dominant commercial area of the Greater Grand Forks
Greater Grand Forks
According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, the population of the Greater Grand Forks metro area was 97,260, of which 50.9% were male and 49.1% were female.-Age:* Under 5 years: 6.3%* 5–9 years: 5.5%* 10–14 years: 6.1%* 15–19 years: 9.6%...
community, it remains the historic center of Grand Forks. An 80.4 acres (32.5 ha) portion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2005, as Downtown Grand Forks Historic District. Today, downtown Grand Forks is home to many offices, stores, restaurants, and bars.
Early history
Alexander Griggs
Alexander Griggs was an American steamboat captain. He is acknowledged as the founder of the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota and is called "The Father of Grand Forks."...
, and his wife Etta, in 1875. This was done in anticipation of the Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad
Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad
The Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad was a shortline railroad in the state of Minnesota in the United States which existed from 1857 to 1879. Founded as the Minnesota and Pacific Railroad, it was the state's first active railroad. It went bankrupt, and the state changed its name to the Saint Paul...
(later the Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway and eventually the Great Northern Railway). A collection of wood-frame buildings quickly sprouted up and, by 1880, the new city was home to 1,705 residents. The city was incorporated on February 22, 1881.
The coming of the Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway in 1880 led to dramatic growth. New multiple-story brick buildings replaced the old wood structures. The Hotel Dacotah, the St. John's Block, and the Security Building - all five stories - were witness to the fact that the city was prospering and that downtown Grand Forks was becoming one of the busiest commercial districts in the region. By the dawn of the 20th century, downtown Grand Forks had become the commercial, transportation, health care, entertainment, and cultural center of the region and boasted many amenities.
The 20th Century
Grand Cities Mall
The Grand Cities Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located on South Washington Street in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was the first enclosed shopping mall built in North Dakota, but by a quirk of fate, the second opened to the public by only six days difference. The mall covers and is anchored...
in 1964 and Columbia Mall
Columbia Mall (Grand Forks)
Columbia Mall is an enclosed regional shopping mall in Grand Forks, North Dakota and is located at the intersection of 32nd Avenue South and Columbia Road.It is the largest mall within...
in 1978) relocated much of the commercial activity which had once been centered downtown. Over time, institutions which had once been a major part of downtown - the city's hospitals, post office, and public library - were replaced with new facilities outside of downtown.
A major downtown urban renewal project during the 1960s and 1970s saw the destruction of whole downtown blocks in favor of new office building, a city auditorium, and a new street overpass spanning the Grand Forks rail yards. Built in large part as a response to the new shopping malls in Grand Forks, the City Center Mall
City Center Mall (Grand Forks)
City Center Mall was a shopping mall located in downtown Grand Forks, North Dakota that was constructed by closing off a block of Third Street. Construction was done in 1978 by building a roof over the former street and walls, closing off the block...
saw the blocking off of one whole block of South Third Street to vehicular traffic. A roof was built over the street and the entire one-block section became an indoor shopping center. The City Center mall was, in large part, a failure. The 1980s and 1990s saw little development taking place downtown. Indeed, several major businesses such as Griffith's Department Store, Norby's Department Store, and Silverman's clothing store either moved elsewhere within the city or shuttered their doors forever.
Flood of 1997
After the flood, a renewed effort was put into revitalizing downtown. A new Grand Forks Corporate Center was built in the center of downtown to replace office space which had been destroyed by the flood and fire. Remodeling of the old Empire Theater, which had been started before the flood, was completed and the building became known as the Empire Arts Center
Empire Arts Center
The Empire Arts Center is a movie theatre in downtown Grand Forks, North Dakota United States. It was built in 1919. It was renovated in 1998 due to damage from the 1997 Red River flood and now is a center for the arts in the Greater Grand Forks metropolitan area.-External links:*...
. The roof of the City Center Mall was removed and historic storefronts were once again visible. Other building projects following the flood included a new office building for the Grand Forks Herald
Grand Forks Herald
The Grand Forks Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper, begun in 1879, published in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It is the primary daily paper for northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. Its average daily circulation is 34,763 on Sundays and 31,524 on weekdays...
, a new office building for Grand Forks County
Grand Forks County, North Dakota
-National protected areas:*Kellys Slough National Wildlife Refuge*Little Goose National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 66,109 people, 25,435 households, and 15,617 families residing in the county. The population density was 46 people per square mile . There were...
, a new "Town Square" community plaza, and the remodeling of countless downtown properties including the Metropolitan Opera House
Metropolitan Opera House (Grand Forks, North Dakota)
The Metropolitan Opera House is located at 116 South Third Street in the downtown area of Grand Forks, North Dakota. The building, constructed in 1890, faces the Red River of the North and sits between the BNSF Railway tracks and a parking structure. At one time, the Opera House was considered the...
and the former First National Bank (now Alerus Financial
Alerus Financial
Alerus Financial, headquartered in Grand Forks, North Dakota, is a chain of financial institutions located throughout North Dakota, Minnesota and Arizona. Alerus offers personal banking, business banking, and agribusiness banking.-History:...
) building.
Historic district
The Downtown Grand Forks Historic District is a 80.4 acres (32.5 ha) historic districtHistoric district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2005. The area is also known as the Grand Forks Original Townsite and as the Central Business District.
The National Register nomination includes some significant dates:
- 1872, when settlers staked claims on the Red River
- 1875, when the town was platted
- 1880, when the Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway reached the city and was constructed through the center of downtown
- 1885, when a branch line of the Northern Pacific RailwayNorthern Pacific RailwayThe Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
reached the town - 1997, when the Red River flood covered all of downtown, and the resulting flood and fire damage brought significant destruction and then reconstruction
Architects who designed buildings in the area include Buechner & Orth
Buechner & Orth
Buechner & Orth was a St. Paul, Minnesota-based architectural firm that designed buildings in Minnesota and surrounding states, including 13 courthouses in North Dakota. It was the subject of a 1979 historic resources study....
, Joseph Bell DeRemer, Cass Gilbert
Cass Gilbert
- Historical impact :Gilbert is considered a skyscraper pioneer; when designing the Woolworth Building he moved into unproven ground — though he certainly was aware of the ground-breaking work done by Chicago architects on skyscrapers and once discussed merging firms with the legendary Daniel...
, Theodore B. Wells, and others.
When listed, the district included 42 contributing buildings, four contributing structures, and 15 non-contributing buildings. The area was surveyed in a 1981 study of Downtown Grand Forks historical resources.
Downtown today
In recent years, a number of new stores and restaurants have opened up downtown:Amazing Grains - A natural foods store
Dakota Harvest Bakers - Restaurant and Bakery
The Toasted Frog - Bar and Restaurant
Urban Stampede - Coffee house
Bonzer's - Bar and Sandwich Pub
Drea's Hookah Lounge
Rhombus Guy's - Pizza, Panini's, and Bar
Guiseppe's - Italian Restaurant
Babylon - Middle-eastern Cuisine
Mamma Maria's - Italian Restaurant (located in East Grand Forks, MN)
The city has recently been encouraging the construction of new apartments and condos in the downtown area. Several new and remodeled buildings offer upscale housing in stand-alone buildings or above businesses for varying prices.
Also, a farmer's market is held every Saturday (9AM to 2PM) from mid-June to mid-September in the Town Square on the corner of 3rd Street S. and DeMers Avenue.
Each June, the downtown area and the neighboring Greater Grand Forks Greenway play host to the Grand Cities Art Fest
Grand Cities Art Fest
The Grand Cities Art Fest is the upper Red River Valley's premiere arts festival and street fair, held during the second weekend each June in the twin cities of Grand Forks, North Dakota and East Grand Forks, Minnesota...
.
Buildings
- Central High SchoolCentral High School (Grand Forks, North Dakota)Central High School is a public senior high school in the Grand Forks Public Schools district. It is located near the University of North Dakota. It has a main focus on athletics and is regionally renowned in ice hockey, golf and tennis.-Location:...
- Grand Forks HeraldGrand Forks HeraldThe Grand Forks Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper, begun in 1879, published in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It is the primary daily paper for northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. Its average daily circulation is 34,763 on Sundays and 31,524 on weekdays...
- Metropolitan Opera HouseMetropolitan Opera House (Grand Forks, North Dakota)The Metropolitan Opera House is located at 116 South Third Street in the downtown area of Grand Forks, North Dakota. The building, constructed in 1890, faces the Red River of the North and sits between the BNSF Railway tracks and a parking structure. At one time, the Opera House was considered the...