Grand Forks Economy

[NoiseInsideMyHead]

46 minutes ago, NewUndFan said:

My question is the hornbackers store is way bigger then a regular Aldi store.  I wonder if they'll use the whole store ? 

Plenty of room for a Pepperjax.  

[gfhockey]

Tire store going in there too I was told

[siouxweet]

5 minutes ago, gfhockey said:

Tire store going in there too I was told

There is a Tires Plus 500 feet from there already??

[gfhockey]

A discount tire store can’t remember the name off hand 

[NewUndFan]

I thought there was a tire store going into the old pizza hut across from there ? 

[gfhockey]

10 minutes ago, NewUndFan said:

I thought there was a tire store going into the old pizza hut across from there ? 

Maybe that’s what I was told bar talk you knkw

[nodak651]

https://www.twincities.com/2021/04/01/justices-uphold-fccs-easing-of-local-media-ownership-limits/

Will this affect local media in ND?  Will we see any changes?

The old rules prohibited a single entity from owning a radio or TV station and a daily newspaper in the same media market. They also limited how many radio and TV stations one company could own in a single market and restricted the number of TV stations a company could operate in one media market.

 

Republicans have long sought changes to the media-ownership rules. The FCC in 2017, then-run by a Republican chairman, decided that since the internet has so changed media, allowing more consolidation in newspapers and broadcasters would be good for consumers.

The FCC now has a Democratic chairwoman who dissented from the 2017 order. But it is not yet fully staffed to let it take on controversial measures.

[The Sicatoka]

4 minutes ago, nodak651 said:

The old rules prohibited a single entity from owning a radio or TV station and a daily newspaper in the same media market.

Um ... what? 

ForumComm owns WDAY-TV (Fargo), The (Fargo) Forum, WDAY-AM (Fargo radio). <- single market

And they owned WDAZ-TV (Grand Forks) and the GF Herald. <- single market

[nodak651]

35 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

Um ... what? 

ForumComm owns WDAY-TV (Fargo), The (Fargo) Forum, WDAY-AM (Fargo radio). <- single market

And they owned WDAZ-TV (Grand Forks) and the GF Herald. <- single market

I guess the ruling upheld a 2017 ruling when the changes were actually made?

"The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously upheld federal regulators’ decision to ease ownership limits on local media, rejecting a claim that the change would hurt minority and female ownership.  The court said the Federal Communications Commission acted reasonably in 2017 when it modified rules that predated the internet."

So I guess we already saw the changes....

[Hammersmith]

6 hours ago, The Sicatoka said:

Um ... what? 

ForumComm owns WDAY-TV (Fargo), The (Fargo) Forum, WDAY-AM (Fargo radio). <- single market

And they owned WDAZ-TV (Grand Forks) and the GF Herald. <- single market

Maybe because the cross-ownership existed prior to 1975? I don't know. Did they allow grandfathering or approvals on a case-by-case basis?

And ForumComm doesn't own WDAY-AM anymore. Or if they do, it won't be for long. ForumComm sold/is selling WDAY-AM to Flag Family Media.

[The Sicatoka]

12 hours ago, Hammersmith said:

And ForumComm doesn't own WDAY-AM anymore. Or if they do, it won't be for long. ForumComm sold/is selling WDAY-AM to Flag Family Media.

I had heard Flag Family was operating WDAY-AM under a management agreement. Is that for sure going to transition? 

[Hammersmith]

1 hour ago, The Sicatoka said:

I had heard Flag Family was operating WDAY-AM under a management agreement. Is that for sure going to transition? 

http://www.insideradio.com/free/flag-family-media-on-path-to-ownership-of-wday-fargo/article_a5f98d9a-236e-11eb-90bb-6322c6cb5a70.html

Quote

Flag Family Media begins operating Forum Communications WDAY Fargo (970) with an eventual path to ownership of the news/talk station.

 

[dmksioux]

New bmx track coming to GF.  Article mentions a children’s museum and athletic facilities could also be a part of the project.  Supposed to go up south of south parking lot of the Alerus.  Only question I have, will this be done before or after the completion of the Hockey hall of fame and monorail? (Purple)

https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/government-and-politics/6966072-Grand-Forks’-new-BMX-park-promises-big-biking-action-—-and-big-things-to-come

[gfhockey]

Hockey crowd has rounded up about $3 mill in donations to re do eagles and blue line club

[nodak651]

On 4/2/2021 at 5:50 PM, dmksioux said:

New bmx track coming to GF.  Article mentions a children’s museum and athletic facilities could also be a part of the project.  Supposed to go up south of south parking lot of the Alerus.  Only question I have, will this be done before or after the completion of the Hockey hall of fame and monorail? (Purple)

https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/government-and-politics/6966072-Grand-Forks’-new-BMX-park-promises-big-biking-action-—-and-big-things-to-come

Childrens museum is being built in Minot in part with help from Air Force.  

https://rejournals.com/kraus-anderson-building-childrens-museum-in-north-dakota/

Designed by Minot-based Ackerman-Estvold, the $14 million project, including exhibit costs, is funded in part by a $6.3 million grant from the Department of Defense, and through public-private partnerships with the City of Minot and Minot Park District.

[forksandspoons]

Airtonomy looking to double its workforce of engineers and computer scientists

https://www.grandforksherald.com/business/6987018-Grand-Forks-based-Airtonomy-faces-growth-and-challenges-while-tech-hub-prepares-to-move-forward

[northernraider]

Jamestown is asking for a state handout to build an amusement park. Grank Forks should hop in line for that sweet money. 

[OgieOgilthorpe]

ND grows by an outstanding 107,000 people in a short 10 years which is about 16%...wow! 2010-2020
 

But somehow, of those 107,000 new citizens, only a measly 800 were counted from the state’s 3rd largest city?! Ouch
 

Yes, absolutely the oil boom played a major factor out west, but man alive...only averaging a positive 80 people per year out of 60k in the state wide booming decade?!
 

Side note- You’ve got to give it to those western communities for developing at warp speed to help aid in retaining citizens after the boom cooled. 
 

IMO- GF only getting 2.0% growth in the hub of the NE quarter of ND during this booming decade makes it almost seem like leadership would’ve had to purposely make an effort to suppress the growth given everything happening state-wide. What gives? 
 

The NE primarily suffered all together especially compared to the other 3 regions. Did it suffer because the hub failed, or did the hub fail because of the impacts of the region failing. Poor ag years? Fargo, Bis and Minot success overshadow and stunting GF growth? 
 

The West boomed for obvious reasons, but the SE boomed by blazing their own successes. Did the huge SE successes overshadow the NE so badly that it’s completely stunted it? New businesses and talent are continuing to chose Fargo and Bis, adding to the momentum just exacerbating the issue. 
 

Hopefully the new GF leadership capitalizes on the niches of the region, takes some risks to attract some attention and turns things around to catch back up before Minnie Minneapolis sucks the life out of Forks even further. 
 

I like seeing all the downtown development. Great start for sure.  Now they need to land some big businesses looking to relocate out of IL, MN, NY and CA. Warm bodies to fill roles will limit all of ND currently but hopefully that changes soon!  

[gfhockey]

I don’t think that drone park has developed as was promise

 

yes it’s good but we haven’t seen the influx that was talked about 

[1972]

9 hours ago, OgieOgilthorpe said:

ND grows by an outstanding 107,000 people in a short 10 years which is about 16%...wow! 2010-2020
 

But somehow, of those 107,000 new citizens, only a measly 800 were counted from the state’s 3rd largest city?! Ouch
 

Yes, absolutely the oil boom played a major factor out west, but man alive...only averaging a positive 80 people per year out of 60k in the state wide booming decade?!
 

Side note- You’ve got to give it to those western communities for developing at warp speed to help aid in retaining citizens after the boom cooled. 
 

IMO- GF only getting 2.0% growth in the hub of the NE quarter of ND during this booming decade makes it almost seem like leadership would’ve had to purposely make an effort to suppress the growth given everything happening state-wide. What gives? 
 

The NE primarily suffered all together especially compared to the other 3 regions. Did it suffer because the hub failed, or did the hub fail because of the impacts of the region failing. Poor ag years? Fargo, Bis and Minot success overshadow and stunting GF growth? 
 

The West boomed for obvious reasons, but the SE boomed by blazing their own successes. Did the huge SE successes overshadow the NE so badly that it’s completely stunted it? New businesses and talent are continuing to chose Fargo and Bis, adding to the momentum just exacerbating the issue. 
 

Hopefully the new GF leadership capitalizes on the niches of the region, takes some risks to attract some attention and turns things around to catch back up before Minnie Minneapolis sucks the life out of Forks even further. 
 

I like seeing all the downtown development. Great start for sure.  Now they need to land some big businesses looking to relocate out of IL, MN, NY and CA. Warm bodies to fill roles will limit all of ND currently but hopefully that changes soon!  

your one underlying fact is that there is absolutly NOTHING to bring people here.  if it wasnt for the university, this wouldnt be much more than a post office and a couple bars.  if it dosent get turned around fast, this place is done....my kids arent coming back after college graduation, i know that much.  and most of their friends are leaving as well,

[TheFlop]

1 minute ago, 1972 said:

your one underlying fact is that there is absolutly NOTHING to bring people here.  if it wasnt for the university, this wouldnt be much more than a post office and a couple bars.  if it dosent get turned around fast, this place is done....my kids arent coming back after college graduation, i know that much.  and most of their friends are leaving as well,

Ditto.  Limited job market unless you want to be paid below market or develop carpal tunnel at one of the three big production plants.........artificially high housing costs due to two guys owning all the land around town and also including the two biggest realtors..........UND is still a big positive but Grand Forks needs more 

[gfhockey]

It seems to me the gf edc is so concerned about manufacturing and other plants that are costing the city money

 

like that red river bio refinery nothing but trouble out there I’ve read in city council minutes 

[northernraider]

2 hours ago, 1972 said:

your one underlying fact is that there is absolutly NOTHING to bring people here.  if it wasnt for the university, this wouldnt be much more than a post office and a couple bars.  if it dosent get turned around fast, this place is done....my kids arent coming back after college graduation, i know that much.  and most of their friends are leaving as well,

Should request that sweet state money for a theme park, beat Jamestown to the punch.

Sugar Beetland U.S.A. 

[OgieOgilthorpe]

1 hour ago, northernraider said:

Should request that sweet state money for a theme park, beat Jamestown to the punch.

Sugar Beetland U.S.A. 

I saw some of the indoor activities plans and ideas from the mayor. Hopefully a few of those get executed. Lots of smaller projects like that add up overall, but a few big moves need to happen soon IMO. Hillsboro had the same % growth as GF, so whatever has been happening in the recent past isn’t working anymore. 

[JohnboyND7]

On 4/18/2021 at 12:17 PM, northernraider said:

Jamestown is asking for a state handout to build an amusement park. Grank Forks should hop in line for that sweet money. 

I think some of it is some statewide effort to have more entertainment Medora and Fargo.  But yeah i think it's pretty hokey. 

14 hours ago, OgieOgilthorpe said:

ND grows by an outstanding 107,000 people in a short 10 years which is about 16%...wow! 2010-2020
 

But somehow, of those 107,000 new citizens, only a measly 800 were counted from the state’s 3rd largest city?! Ouch
 

Yes, absolutely the oil boom played a major factor out west, but man alive...only averaging a positive 80 people per year out of 60k in the state wide booming decade?!
 

Side note- You’ve got to give it to those western communities for developing at warp speed to help aid in retaining citizens after the boom cooled. 
 

IMO- GF only getting 2.0% growth in the hub of the NE quarter of ND during this booming decade makes it almost seem like leadership would’ve had to purposely make an effort to suppress the growth given everything happening state-wide. What gives? 
 

The NE primarily suffered all together especially compared to the other 3 regions. Did it suffer because the hub failed, or did the hub fail because of the impacts of the region failing. Poor ag years? Fargo, Bis and Minot success overshadow and stunting GF growth? 
 

The West boomed for obvious reasons, but the SE boomed by blazing their own successes. Did the huge SE successes overshadow the NE so badly that it’s completely stunted it? New businesses and talent are continuing to chose Fargo and Bis, adding to the momentum just exacerbating the issue. 
 

Hopefully the new GF leadership capitalizes on the niches of the region, takes some risks to attract some attention and turns things around to catch back up before Minnie Minneapolis sucks the life out of Forks even further. 
 

I like seeing all the downtown development. Great start for sure.  Now they need to land some big businesses looking to relocate out of IL, MN, NY and CA. Warm bodies to fill roles will limit all of ND currently but hopefully that changes soon!  

Not sure its entirely fair to compare Grand Forks to other areas. The western energy boom is self explanatory like you mentioned. 

Fargo is just best equipped to grow in the east.  Two interstates,  an hour closer to civilization. Many more college kids available to be retained. I'm thinking that has started to snowball quite a bit.  

Not sure how Grand Forks can experience anything similar. Geography will steer people south. Hopefully they can snag some good jobs related to the base and tech or whatever. Big fan of the town up there. If I landed a great job opportunity up there I'd jump at it.