Grand Forks Economy

[SiouxVolley]

11 minutes ago, Kab said:

If you are going to have a business ask yourself what wouldn’t I buy online.

you might look online but then go to a store or dealer to purchase 

 

People like to see a face associated with the product.  Once that happens, they are more likely to buy on line, even if there are problems.  Some online presences need a face for returns or problems.

[Sioux>Bison]

12 hours ago, Frozen4sioux said:

Nope. Minot is teetering on the brink always. The oil hub business is so fleeting and as more infrastructure is developed and consolidated out west less is needed in Minot.

Minot without the base.... goodnight.... equivalent to Dickinson or jamestown.

GF without the base, huge blow, but the University, better location on trade routes and in the farm rich valley put it in a better situation IMHO.

Both are fanatically opposed to anything that intrudes on the GOBCs of the respective towns.

 

Agree 100% , Minot will not become what it was during the last boom. Oil companies want to be closer to the action and watford city and Williston are now more positioned for the growth.

[Sioux>Bison]

On 2/14/2019 at 11:24 AM, northernraider said:

Not that bad of an idea. Grand Forks really needs a local attraction. When REA is the number attraction on TripAdvisor, not good for outside tourism. 

I don’t know what kind attraction grand forks can build to really boost tourism other than UNDgetting bigger. Most people would never go to grand forks if it wasn’t for events being held at the Ralph or the Alerus Center.

[Sioux>Bison]

1 hour ago, SiouxVolley said:

Minot assumed it hit the big time with a mega rail port for oil, oil drilling supplies, and AG, like pulse and AG supplies, but that rail port hasn’t exactly panned out with mega jobs and facilities.

http://www.minotdailynews.com/news/local-news/2017/10/minot-poised-to-re-examine-economic-development-efforts/

UAV’s seems to be their new emphasis, but even Minot officials say they will never be a UAS center like Grand Forks.

Minot is run by a bunch of idiots. Hell the last mayor was a former strip club owner that ran unopposed and now has a mayor that thinks he is god gift to the spotlight and loves to hear himself talk. Minot has an engineering department that has royally  messed up on big projects over and over and has allowed the city to be over built with tons of empty new subdivisions. The head engineer should have been canned long ago. Taxes increase like a sieve with no end in sight. It’s not a great time to be a resident of Minot right now.

[ND-fan]

I will express opinion that may not be to popular with Grand Forks residents but I am going to say it anyway. When Grand Forks passed the city sales tax for their water treatment plant I think it has hurt there retail business more than they thought. I know being outside of Grand Forks people I know were upset with passage of this tax and I believe it help shift shoppers minds on doing business there. I can hear people say it wasn't that big a deal but sometimes there comes to point that breaks the camels back or people get mad to point they find alternatives. The feeling was that instead funding your city water project on people living in city and businesses in the city you looked to tax people from outside your city to help pay for your infrastructure. We our selves have shifted to more online shopping where we only have to pay the state sales tax not additional sale taxes Grand forks levies a reduction in cost of products we buy. You say it isn't much but it adds up when you consider we pay nearly 2and 1/2 percent less on goods bought this way. Over years we probably came to Grand forks spent at least $500.00  to 1000.00 month shopping in the city and now we have eliminated at least 75% of this shopping saving us at least $150.00 year in taxes and then  consider driving costs and eating in the city were saving at least another 1500.00 to shop in your city. This is money we can spend else where or for our pleasure. Where we come from we have to tax ourselves to pay for infrastructure for basic needs like water, sewer, and roads this is should have been the way Grand Forks financed there water project.  If I am right I think it has hurt Grand Forks retail businesses and also slowed growth for the city. This taxing without representation has cost but it hard to show it in real figures but its there.

[Bison Dan]

6 hours ago, Sioux>Bison said:

Minot is run by a bunch of idiots. Hell the last mayor was a former strip club owner that ran unopposed and now has a mayor that thinks he is god gift to the spotlight and loves to hear himself talk. Minot has an engineering department that has royally  messed up on big projects over and over and has allowed the city to be over built with tons of empty new subdivisions. The head engineer should have been canned long ago. Taxes increase like a sieve with no end in sight. It’s not a great time to be a resident of Minot right now.

This is right on.  One example Wallmart wanted to open a super store in the North end up the hill.  City screwed around so long they pulled out.  It would have reduced traffic on 83 which is terribly over used.  

[The Sicatoka]

11 hours ago, BarnWinterSportsEngelstad said:

Every time a load of wheat, potatoes, sugar, corn, beans, livestock and etc. leave the state for sale, I call it, "new $ come back in". This process does a lot of good for our economy.  Completely different than recycling of our same old money.  

The raw materials leave. And then someone else makes money on the value added processing. 

Send out durum; someone else makes it into pasta and sells the higher value end product.

We send out raw sugar; Hershey's adds some stuff and sells chocolate bar. 

ND should be sending out "frosted sugar bombs" cereal, not the wheat, corn and sugar that someone else uses to make "frosted sugar bombs". 

Having the raw materials is great and good money; but, I'd like to have that money and the first level of value added processing money also. It'd be money and jobs. 

[SIOUXFAN97]

23 hours ago, UNDBIZ said:

How does that help grow business? 

a mayor that might mayor full time instead of being a doctor posing as a mayor so he can "seconds or thirds" to go EVERYTIME the city is footing the bill for food at city paid events.

[SiouxFanatic]

14 hours ago, Bison Dan said:

This is right on.  One example Wallmart wanted to open a super store in the North end up the hill.  City screwed around so long they pulled out.  It would have reduced traffic on 83 which is terribly over used.  

@Bison Dan Didn't want to go with the easiest example aka the white elephant downtown parking garages? 

[streetsahead]

On 2/25/2019 at 6:51 PM, BarnWinterSportsEngelstad said:

Just filled up there 2 hours ago, it's where I go to get Premium. Been told University Station got what they wanted for the place. They close today,  Friday it'll open as Casey's.

Anybody gone to Casey's yet?  Might run over and grab a few slices over lunch.

[fightingsioux4life]

On 2/27/2019 at 3:09 AM, ND-fan said:

I will express opinion that may not be to popular with Grand Forks residents but I am going to say it anyway. When Grand Forks passed the city sales tax for their water treatment plant I think it has hurt there retail business more than they thought. I know being outside of Grand Forks people I know were upset with passage of this tax and I believe it help shift shoppers minds on doing business there. I can hear people say it wasn't that big a deal but sometimes there comes to point that breaks the camels back or people get mad to point they find alternatives. The feeling was that instead funding your city water project on people living in city and businesses in the city you looked to tax people from outside your city to help pay for your infrastructure. We our selves have shifted to more online shopping where we only have to pay the state sales tax not additional sale taxes Grand forks levies a reduction in cost of products we buy. You say it isn't much but it adds up when you consider we pay nearly 2and 1/2 percent less on goods bought this way. Over years we probably came to Grand forks spent at least $500.00  to 1000.00 month shopping in the city and now we have eliminated at least 75% of this shopping saving us at least $150.00 year in taxes and then  consider driving costs and eating in the city were saving at least another 1500.00 to shop in your city. This is money we can spend else where or for our pleasure. Where we come from we have to tax ourselves to pay for infrastructure for basic needs like water, sewer, and roads this is should have been the way Grand Forks financed there water project.  If I am right I think it has hurt Grand Forks retail businesses and also slowed growth for the city. This taxing without representation has cost but it hard to show it in real figures but its there.

People who visit Grand Forks benefit from the services provided there when they visit. Police and Fire protection, clean and safe water, roads and bridges and so on. This "friends and neighbors shouldn't have to pay for anything" bullcrap needs to stop. If you shop in Fargo, you are helping pay for their flood protection project, among other things. The Feds and State aren't providing the funds they used to for roads and bridges, so that is why local governments are pitching in more. Sales taxes are all over the place and they are not going anywhere, so please get over it.

PS: Shopping online will increasingly have sales taxes applied to it, no relief there either.

[Fetch]

Build a Dome over the entire City or County or ? ? ?

[SiouxVolley]

On 2/27/2019 at 1:09 AM, ND-fan said:

I will express opinion that may not be to popular with Grand Forks residents but I am going to say it anyway. When Grand Forks passed the city sales tax for their water treatment plant I think it has hurt there retail business more than they thought. I know being outside of Grand Forks people I know were upset with passage of this tax and I believe it help shift shoppers minds on doing business there. I can hear people say it wasn't that big a deal but sometimes there comes to point that breaks the camels back or people get mad to point they find alternatives. The feeling was that instead funding your city water project on people living in city and businesses in the city you looked to tax people from outside your city to help pay for your infrastructure. We our selves have shifted to more online shopping where we only have to pay the state sales tax not additional sale taxes Grand forks levies a reduction in cost of products we buy. You say it isn't much but it adds up when you consider we pay nearly 2and 1/2 percent less on goods bought this way. Over years we probably came to Grand forks spent at least $500.00  to 1000.00 month shopping in the city and now we have eliminated at least 75% of this shopping saving us at least $150.00 year in taxes and then  consider driving costs and eating in the city were saving at least another 1500.00 to shop in your city. This is money we can spend else where or for our pleasure. Where we come from we have to tax ourselves to pay for infrastructure for basic needs like water, sewer, and roads this is should have been the way Grand Forks financed there water project.  If I am right I think it has hurt Grand Forks retail businesses and also slowed growth for the city. This taxing without representation has cost but it hard to show it in real figures but its there.

Higher taxes on items cause people to flee or avoid those purchases.  It’s been proven over and over but yet GF leaders do it anyway.  Recently, NYC raised the minnum wage to $15, and they become incensed when the restaurants jobs disappear at the highest rate recorded.  So now they are going to mandate no job losses for restaraunts.

Using NYC’s logic, GF should sue Macy’s to get them opened again.

[Kab]

Anyone that complains about an extra 1 % local tax or 2 or 3 is shortsighted.

taxes need to come from somewhere. Share the load.

these same people grab A $2 soda on the way out the door or a $6 pack of cigarettes .

if you don’t want to pay the tax don’t buy anything anywhere

[SiouxVolley]

15 minutes ago, Kab said:

Anyone that complains about an extra 1 % local tax or 2 or 3 is shortsighted.

taxes need to come from somewhere. Share the load.

these same people grab A $2 soda on the way out the door or a $6 pack of cigarettes .

if you don’t want to pay the tax don’t buy anything anywhere

HAve relatives that have switched to Fargo from Grand Forks because of taxes.  It’s just a few more miles and they have other needs that can be met there.  It’s not $2 sodas they are buying either.  Nothing like shrinking your market.

[jdub27]

1 hour ago, SiouxVolley said:

HAve relatives that have switched to Fargo from Grand Forks because of taxes.  It’s just a few more miles and they have other needs that can be met there.  It’s not $2 sodas they are buying either.  Nothing like shrinking your market.

So they are voluntarily driving further to pay 7.50% sales tax in Fargo instead of 7.25% in Grand Forks? 

[SooToo]

7 minutes ago, jdub27 said:

So they are voluntarily driving further to pay 7.50% sales tax in Fargo instead of 7.25% in Grand Forks? 

#thenewmath

[Kab]

2 hours ago, SiouxVolley said:

HAve relatives that have switched to Fargo from Grand Forks because of taxes.  It’s just a few more miles and they have other needs that can be met there.  It’s not $2 sodas they are buying either.  Nothing like shrinking your market.

You miss the point

they complain about paying the tax but think nothing of buying the soda or cigarettes on the way out of town

buy beer in bismarck, with all the tax it’s over 10%, just the way it is

 

 

[choyt3]

15 hours ago, SiouxVolley said:

HAve relatives that have switched to Fargo from Grand Forks because of taxes.  It’s just a few more miles and they have other needs that can be met there.  It’s not $2 sodas they are buying either.  Nothing like shrinking your market.

 

14 hours ago, jdub27 said:

So they are voluntarily driving further to pay 7.50% sales tax in Fargo instead of 7.25% in Grand Forks? 

Did Fargo ever sunset the sales tax that built the FargoDome? If not, hope the relatives are happy to be paying for that instead of for treated water in Grand Forks. I know it’s all relative, but what is more important in the big picture?

[Bison Dan]

2 hours ago, choyt3 said:

 

Did Fargo ever sunset the sales tax that built the FargoDome? If not, hope the relatives are happy to be paying for that instead of for treated water in Grand Forks. I know it’s all relative, but what is more important in the big picture?

For the FargoDome it has sunset many years ago.  The cost of living with only Hugo's and 15-30 cents additional cost for gas is greater in GF.  

[Shawn-O]

38 minutes ago, Bison Dan said:

For the FargoDome it has sunset many years ago.  The cost of living with only Hugo's and 15-30 cents additional cost for gas is greater in GF.  

#gobc

[geaux_sioux]

7 hours ago, Bison Dan said:

For the FargoDome it has sunset many years ago.  The cost of living with only Hugo's and 15-30 cents additional cost for gas is greater in GF.  

Only Hugo’s? When did Target and Walmart close?

[Cratter]

5 hours ago, geaux_sioux said:

Only Hugo’s? When did Target and Walmart close?

When Natural Grocers moved in?

[UNDBIZ]

Sounds like grand forks has some good entrepreneurs on their way up

[Cratter]

Regarding the Columbia Mall, I recently read that some are predicting 25% of all malls will close in the next four years.