Grand Forks Economy

[gfNDfan]

9 hours ago, nodak651 said:

https://knoxradio.com/2021/08/03/gg-council-keeps-aquarium-plans-afloat/

With some hesitancy the Grand Forks council voted last night (Monday) to continue discussions with a company looking to locate an ecosystem aquarium at the Grand Cities Mall.  The proposed site for the 17,000 square foot SeaQuest would be the former Kmart building.

One of the hurdles is a potential $1 million dollar subsidy to seal the deal.  Mayor Brandon Bochenski says it’s a big “ask” that needs more assessment.  “I am not a huge fan of having public money involved in these projects but something has to start the growth.” Continued....

Ever walk into a bar and throw a $20 on the blackjack table?  Maybe you won big and some big $$ in your wallet - maybe you lost but at the end of the day you ventured $20.   Not a life changing amount of money regardless what happened.   That's what Mayor Bo is asking - 50,000 residents x $20=1 Million dollars.  Deal me in!

GF is seriously sucking air after Covid - we need some new attractions and I don't think this is a bad investment at all.  One day the border will reopen and Canadians will be SHOCKED AND HORRIFIED what Covid has done to GF.   Without a unique reason - they will head straight to Fargo so spend all their tourist money and I think a $20 bill is a small gamble to throw out to keep at least some of that money here!

Check out their website- www.visitseaquest.com - they have changing exhibits like a museum and won't be a "one time and done" attraction.  And it would be a great addition for schoolkids in the region.

The only other plan I've heard for the old KMART is a Senior Living Community which would been another thing we DON'T need right now - a bunch of cheap old people bitching about every penny the city spends on their behalf - AKA KNOX radio which I think we're ALL tired of.

peace!

[OgieOgilthorpe]

9 hours ago, nodak651 said:

What would Brown do?  

Hand Crary 1.5M to convert it to an apartment complex. If that failed, then give Hugo’s 1.5M to post a big “coming soon” sign in the parking lot for 5 years. Then eventually pay Rydell 1M to use it as overflow parking. 

[gfNDfan]

try this linky:

https://visitseaquest.com/

 

 

[gfNDfan]

1 minute ago, OgieOgilthorpe said:

Hand Crary 1.5M to convert it to an apartment complex. If that failed, then give Hugo’s 1.5M to post a big “coming soon” sign in the parking lot for 5 years. Then eventually pay Rydell 1M to use it as overflow parking. 

Damn Simpsons!

 

[gfhockey]

I thought brown would give an apartment developer $2m to Tear down somethinf and build a new one there

 

but it has a pool and a community room!

[Siouxperfan7]

The 2 Covino brothers who own Seaquest have been nailed several times smuggling and poaching animals.  Specifically sharks.  One has been banned by a federal judge from ever dealing with animals again. One had emails leaked after physically threatening harm to employees who reported animal abuse to authorities.  Most recently they got nailed in Florida for illegally catching and smuggling endangered sharks out.  There are also several stories of charges they have faces at their facilities for animal neglect and cruelty.

All this info isn't conspiracy.  Quick google search of these guys will tell you all you need to know.  The fact that the majority of the City Council thinks it would be a good idea to bring these guys into our city to open a facility that will likely have these same issues is beyond irresponsible.  

 

[geaux_sioux]

9 minutes ago, Siouxperfan7 said:

The 2 Covino brothers who own Seaquest have been nailed several times smuggling and poaching animals.  Specifically sharks.  One has been banned by a federal judge from ever dealing with animals again. One had emails leaked after physically threatening harm to employees who reported animal abuse to authorities.  Most recently they got nailed in Florida for legally catching and smuggling endangered sharks out.  There are also several stories of charges they have faces at their facilities for animal neglect and cruelty.

All this info isn't conspiracy.  Quick google search of these guys will tell you all you need to know.  The fact that the majority of the City Council thinks it would be a good idea to bring these guys into our city to open a facility that will likely have these same issues is beyond irresponsible.  

 

Nope nope nope nope nope. Not interested. 
 

And am I the only one suspicious they aren’t trying to do this in Fargo instead?

[Cratter]

52 minutes ago, geaux_sioux said:

And am I the only one suspicious they aren’t trying to do this in Fargo instead?

Maybe Bo reached out.

[Cratter]

If you were gonna try and bring a new attraction to GF what would it be?

[Frozen4sioux]

4 minutes ago, Cratter said:

If you were gonna try and bring a new attraction to GF what would it be?

Anything but some leaky fishtanks full of nemos depressed cousins in a broken down kmart.

For the good of GF someone needs to get a little match happy with that building before any public money is flushed down the toilet like the dead fish of an idea this is....

[geaux_sioux]

13 minutes ago, Cratter said:

If you were gonna try and bring a new attraction to GF what would it be?

A legit science museum would be a good start. Could probably partner with UND on that and have nice space and Dino exhibits.

[gfhockey]

They claimed Fargo is courting them too but feel grand forks has better location?

 

naybe we should get the gasperinis or the palmiscinos and the gambuccis to do some digging in the covino family

[Frozen4sioux]

1 hour ago, geaux_sioux said:

Nope nope nope nope nope. Not interested. 
 

And am I the only one suspicious they aren’t trying to do this in Fargo instead?

It really is more of a Shelbyville...err Bisonville idea.

[Cratter]

7 minutes ago, Frozen4sioux said:

Anything but some leaky fishtanks full of nemos depressed cousins in a broken down kmart.

Duluth subsidizes their aquarium with hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

Some people like aquariums.

Some people dont.

Would hard to get a consensus on anything I suppose.

[Kab]

I hope the GF community is letting Bo know there are better investments 

[SIOUXFAN97]

4 minutes ago, geaux_sioux said:

A legit science museum would be a good start. Could probably partner with UND on that and have nice space and Dino exhibits.

ding ding...winner....everyone loves dinosaurs and team up with UND and make it professional, fun, and educational.

[Frozen4sioux]

1 minute ago, geaux_sioux said:

A legit science museum would be a good start. Could probably partner with UND on that and have nice space and Dino exhibits.

Science and tech mueseum, would be interesting.

Interactive space exhibits, simulators, planetarium.

Family multisport entertainment complex, gocarts.

https://www.wonkaplayground.com/indoor-family-entertainment-center/

Anything that has interaction, a bowl of seahorses on the old K-Cafe just aint gunna hold kids attention past 1 visit.

[Cratter]

Maybe the science museum can have an interactive aquarium! 

[Cratter]

10 minutes ago, Frozen4sioux said:

Family multisport entertainment complex, gocarts.

When we were in high school we drove to the multilevel indoor "fun center" in west fargo to ride the gocarts.

Wish they were still around.

[SIOUXFAN97]

5 minutes ago, Cratter said:

Maybe the science museum can have an interactive aquarium! 

too late to add a very very large aquarium to the new union?  all that money that i think wynne saved us on steel could've paid for a nice big big fish tank right in the middle

[Kab]

Can’t we go see fish at Cabelas?

[Cratter]

We'd also spend some money in GF at the batting cages, mini golf, and Water World.

All no longer around. 

[SIOUXFAN97]

29 minutes ago, Cratter said:

We'd also spend some money in GF at the batting cages, mini golf, and Water World.

All no longer around. 

ask choice wellness why we don't have some of these in grand forks privately ran......

[northernraider]

49 minutes ago, Cratter said:

Duluth subsidizes their aquarium with hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

Some people like aquariums.

Some people dont.

Would hard to get a consensus on anything I suppose.

At least the one in Duluth is an actual aquarium and not a roadside aquatic petting zoo. 

I do agree some type of science museum with air/space component would be a huge asset and more popular than this proposal.

I am sure one of the UAS companies would love to have their name on a exhibit hall. 

Maybe Grand Forks can steal the Sugar Beat Museum from Crookston 

[SIOUXFAN97]

still wonder why ralph engelstad did buy the land next to happy harry's and build a world class automobile museum and move all his cars there and use the funding from said museum to fund hockey at und....