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River Forks Downtown Plan Update

Grand Forks and East Grand Forks
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

Background

Due to the flood of 1997, each downtown focused on recovery efforts individually; thereby causing the disbanding of the unified plan mentioned above. There have been many planning efforts since the flood of 1997. In Grand Forks, there have been as many as six plans that have provided separate yet similar recommendations. In East Grand Forks, there have been as many as four plans completed.

This study will re-examine previous recommendations and determine how to move forward. These efforts must include a look back, to understand the impact of previous efforts on the downtown environment and a look forward to identify what needs to happen next. As with the previous efforts, these new policies, plans and projects must be rooted in market reality and must reflect community values.

It is important to note that the various previous plans have assisted the communities’ efforts to revitalize the respective downtowns.

• A large greenway has been developed as part of the flood protection system.
• The replacement of housing has been occurring, as roughly 160 housing units will have been added in the downtowns by the spring of 2008 with the potential for more in the future.
• Business recovery is ongoing, though vacancies and turnovers exist in both downtowns.
  

Part of this update will assist the communities in identifying the development priorities for the downtown so transportation impacts can be identified and alternatives explored.

As many of the previous recommendations have been implemented, it will be important to help the communities identify ways and means of leveraging this success. Lists of unfinished and new issues and opportunities have been identified by the communities that this new planning process should address.

Project Area Map

Find out more about this project:

• Project background
• Planning and evaluation process
• Open Houses and Workshops
• Press releases
• Contacts