Fargo Events Center Vote

[Siouxman]

Proposed downtown Events Center went down 29% - 71%. High voter turnout with negative vote pretty unanimous across the city, even in the NDSU area.

[Sioux-cia]

Proposed downtown  Events Center went down 29% - 71%.  High voter turnout with negative vote pretty unanimous across the city, even in the NDSU area.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They'll probably bring it up again. Remember the first Alerus vote?

[SiouxMeNow]

wow - a shocker from the progressive metropolitan center of ND Guess people are still pissed about promising the Fargodome would have ice

[LB#11]

Proposed downtown  Events Center went down 29% - 71%.  High voter turnout with negative vote pretty unanimous across the city, even in the NDSU area.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I do really like living in Fargo, but thank God for Fighting Sioux Hockey.

[bisonguy]

Proposed downtown  Events Center went down 29% - 71%.  High voter turnout with negative vote pretty unanimous across the city, even in the NDSU area.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why would have the NDSU area voted differently? They had no horse in this dog and pony show.

The largest areas of yes votes came from the very south end of Fargo, where most of the overzealous hockey parents live.

[The Sicatoka]

Deep down inside I still believe that Mike McFeely wasn't too far off on his take on this whole scenario.

No, what Fargo "needs" (the quotation marks are there because we are smart enough to know the words "need" and "sports facilities" should only be very loosely associated) is a sparkling new basketball arena.

Downtown.

With about 8,000 seats.

In which the Bison men's and women's teams would play their games.

Paid for by a combination of private and public dollars.

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For the record, NDSU would be OK with this.

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A new arena could be crucial toward the Bison's success in Division I.

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It's a slam dunk. Forget hockey. Basketball is the name of the game.

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Please note:

The block proposed for this just happened to be across the street from "NDSU Downtown" (aka the old Northern School Supplies building) and a hinted-at parking ramp the city might have built for the arena just happened to be adjacent to that same building. I'm sure "NDSU would be OK with this" too.

[BisonMav]

Deep down inside I still believe that [url="http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=73195

[petey23]

I voted for this.

The proponents were not really clear on what exactly it was supposed to be, but what is a .5 % sales tax? I can't remeber the last time I bought something and said to myself, that fu$%ing Fargodome sales tax just cost me 30 cents> anything that Linda coates comes out against would probably be good for Fargo, so that is what swung my vote. The proponents of the arena did a very poor job of postitioning this proposal...pure and simple

[The Sicatoka]

An off-campus basketball arena is not a very good idea IMO.

I will not disagree with that. On-campus just seems like a better arrangement for any campus if they can finance the facility.

And hey, you have to admit that NDSU would have been "OK" with the scenario McFeely rolled out, namely a new arena and 6000 fans attending a game.

petey23: There just seemed to be so many unanswered questions. That and some folks' pure dislike of any tax or tax extension seemed to work against the idea.

[BisonMav]

I will not disagree with that. On-campus just seems like a better arrangement for any campus if they can finance the facility.

And hey, you have to admit that NDSU would have been "OK" with the scenario McFeely rolled out, namely a new arena and 6000 fans attending a game.

I honestly don't think NDSU would play basketball downtown.

Cost and distance from the students are two big negatives.

A remodeled BSA will work just fine until I win the lottery.

[The Sicatoka]

... until I win the lottery.

Get in line. ;)

[mikejm]

I think the historic preservation "vote" was a tiny minority. Aside from the old bank building, and perhaps part of the Syndicate Bldg, there is little significant history on the block.

I think voters said $40 million is too much for an arena of any type with no tenants and no prospect for tenants.

I also think voters finally figured out that the Cityscapes proposal had little to do with developing downtown, and a great deal to do with enriching Cityscapes. I've heard many people say they were not going to vote for a proposal that would, in essence, give a city block to Cityscapes.

As an aside, Cityscapes' track record in condominium development in Fargo could hardly be termed successful; the apartments and townhouses built on the old Shanley location have yet to fill up, nearly two years after they opened for occupancy.