Canad Inns

[Diggler]

Without more information than that, it's difficult for me to come to a conclusion about who's most at fault for the delay.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's the fault of the people who are against the name changing.

[bk1]

I know this is an old subject but has anyone heard the status of the Canad Inn project? The last I heard, the permits were ready for them to start construction. Canad said in May that it would start in 30-60 days. Any info?

Also, are the Wallace Theatres still coming to Columbia Mall?

Thanks for any info!

[dakotadan]

As was stated above, Canad Inns is a go except for funding. Everything seems to be in place except they are trying to get a local bank to guarantee the project funding. The word is that they can get funding through some Canadian banks but they would like to have the loans guaranteed locally. It appears that Leo Ledohowski actually is looking out for the interest of Grand Forks.

As for the theaters in the Columbia Mall, right now they are finishing up the new food court. That should be open in the next few weeks. After that we should hear somemore info but it sounds like it is still a go.

[CoteauRinkRat]

As for the theaters in the Columbia Mall, right now they are finishing up the new food court. That should be open in the next few weeks. After that we should hear somemore info but it sounds like it is still a go.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've heard from a few different sources that the Columbia Mall theatre project is a dead issue. I'm sure someone else on here could probably fill us in.

[star2city]

Although this news, Canad Breaking ground before the snow flies is probably greeted with skepticism by some, it would seem there was quite a bit going on behind the scenes.

First, one of the Ledohowski brothers "cashed" out this summer, which had to have delayed and complicated the financing.

Ledohowski said the financing package has proven more difficult to assemble than he thought. A consortium of half a dozen banks, some local, led by Stearns Bank of St. Cloud, Minn., is involved, he said, and all had to be "educated" on the water park business.

With the above statement, it would seem that Norm Skalicky, the UND benefactor for the Tech Incubator and Stearns Bank proprietor, is the primary behind-the-scenes financier for the project.

Finally, is GF prepared for the red beacon atop the Canad? Apparently, Brandon, Manitoba wasn't: Canad beacon burning bright

[Local Boy]

I know that if you looked at all my posts here, you'd see that I'm mostly a one-topic poster. I apologize for that. But, isn't the entire Alerus/Canad issue a major cluster-youknowwhat from the get-go?

FYI...I'm a hockey and football ticket holder who enjoys the games, but by no means is a big sportstalk junky. I enjoy lurking here and by-and-large; feel that it's a great community. I just can't get away from the fact that the Alerus is such a boondoggle.

I sense that from the fact that there's very little talk about the center, shows that people in their hearts agree that the joint is a big-old white elephant. I suppose that if you're a Grand Forks "insider" you have to tow the whole party line that this is some sort of a economic development engine and not a big bust from the get-go. I wish not, but apparently it is.

[The Sicatoka]

The Alerus (a convention center, look at the big ball room) will never reach its potential without a (walking distance) hotel.

[Local Boy]

The Alerus day to day operations are subsidized by tax dollars. Lots of them. A hotel will be expected to cash flow. What's next? A tax subsidized hotel?

[dakotadan]

The Alerus Center has some very good potential. Those in charge of the Al have publically stated that it is not feasible to support the center solely on concerts/football. They are working on getting the center used more on a day to day basis for smaller community centered events. Having this hotel will help with that. Having events like wedding receptions, family reunions, business meetings, smaller conventions (i.e. not farm shows, boat shows,etc) are what are going to make the Alerus successful. The arena has been basically supporting it, once the smaller 30-50 person meeting rooms and the Ball Room are being used on a more regular basis, we should see the bottom line getting better.

The Canad Inn Corp is a private business. They are going to be doing everything in their power to get the most back from their investment. In order to do this, they will want the Alerus to be successful also. I would assume that they will be a big help in securing events for the Al.

On a side note, hopefully the Ledohowski family becomes big SIOUX fans! We may have some future football boosters moving in next door at the Al.

[82SiouxGuy]

I am not a Grand Forks

[star2city]

I sense that from the fact that there's very little talk about the center, shows that people in their hearts agree that the joint is a big-old white elephant.  I suppose that if you're a Grand Forks "insider" you have to tow the whole party line that this is some sort of a economic development engine and not a big bust from the get-go.  I wish not, but apparently it is.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This topic probably hasn’t been discussed much because of the delays and ‘issue fatique.’ Considering that $50 million in private investment is going into an attachment to the Alerus, that is by my reckoning the largest private for-profit investment ever made in Grand Forks. That makes it a huge local story. With someone like Skalicky financing the visionary Ledohowski, the credibility of the project and the Alerus Center itself goes up.

As far as economic development, more than a few conventions or weekend trips to a water park, the increased attractiveness of Grand Forks for business or industry is paramount. Until the Hilton Garden Inn, GF didn’t even have a business hotel - now it will have two. With a horizontal landscape, no lakes, and a long winter, Grand Forks, more than practically any other similarly sized city in the US needs significant investments in indoor spectator / fitness / recreational facilities. GF will now have those now with the REA / Alerus / Water park / new UND fitness center. The added benefit of the CANAD Inn helping to foster what should be natural ties with the Winnipeg business / industrial community can’t hurt either. The existence of Alerus Center deficits forces the city leaders out of what for too long been a reticent / passive mode and into a more active, risk-taking role. But change can be difficult, especially for the nervous nellies in the community who themselves abhor and avoid prudent risk.

[Local Boy]

In response to the last few posts, I don

[PCM]

In the 4 1/2 years that the Alerus has been open, time has proven very unfavorable to the property, in terms of fulfilling the promises and expectations that were floated in the campaign stages before the property was passed by the voters.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Perhaps that's because the idea from the beginning was to have the Alerus designed as a convention center with a hotel attached. You can't proclaim the concept a failure before it's been completed.

[Local Boy]

Sorry to belabor this topic but, keep in mind that you

[star2city]

In the 4 1/2 years that the Alerus has been open, time has proven very unfavorable to the property, in terms of fulfilling the promises and expectations that were floated in the campaign stages before the property was passed by the voters.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

With 32nd Avenue filling up, the 42nd Street corridor will become the next prime development land. Expect this corridor to be more Business Park focused compared with the retail on 32nd.

When Columbia Mall was built in 1978, there were numerous predictions about what 32nd Ave South would look like. Those prediction all came true, but really only did so in the last few years. 42nd Street will not take 25 years to fill in, like 32nd did.

[PCM]

Sorry to belabor this topic but, keep in mind that you

[tnt]

The old civic auditorium lost almost exactly the same as the Alerus from what the media have written in the past. Let's see Alerus Center vs. Civic Auditorium. No brainer if you ask me. You can be upset about the way things are presented to the people of Grand Forks, but to me if you are saying Grand Forks would be better off without the Alerus, I'd have to ask you what you've been smoking. I am convinced that there are many businesses, mainly restaurants that I don't think would be here without the Alerus. I am sure no one is complaining about the offspin businesses, except maybe competing businesses. One other point, you can't fault the Alerus for losing the same as the Civic especially considering the Ralph wasn't a blimp on the screen when the Alerus was scheduled to be built. Should city leaders have disallowed a spectacular arena to be built so that their pet project could succeed a little better? Grand Forks is a much better place to live because of both facilities, especially when you consider where we were right after the flood.

[Local Boy]

I appreciate your homerism but your argument is based on your so-called fact that the Alerus loses the same as the old Civic. Recalculate your math and factor in the tax contribution to the Alerus. Got it? Your only allowable factual response under this circumstance (the reality btw) is..."oops, forgive me, I never thought of that".

This is a UND Sports forum. My tone is out of line is this context. But, there's no other forum. So, I guess, here I am. I'll go away and lurk the Sioux Sports forum. It's good stuff! Love it.

The reality is...even if the property was ramped up and staffed-up to chase the Clear Channel Presents, House of Blues, and the Concerts West concert events AND the big Regional conventions that the ballroom/convention center feature was supposed to attract...it would lose much more money. Probably an additional 100K plus. Seriously...grim reality sucks.

Lie in the weeds and wait for a non major-flag hotel operator to open and save the project, then reevaluate the situation. At that time, the Alerus will be faced with capital outlays regarding remodeling, equipment updates, and general maintenance. Also, factor economic shifts of company

[tnt]

There is so much I could say but won't. It's obvious nobody is going to change your mind about what the Alerus means to Grand Forks, or vice versa. The one thing I can say is that it is a reality -- deal with it.

[The Sicatoka]

Let me make one other note here:

I still believe putting in the west frontage road (along I-29) from Demers to 32nd Ave S and putting in an underpass at 17th Avenue would help GF in many ways:

- access to the west to expand the existing (and what should be prime) industrial area from Demers to 32nd -- interstate crossings is what held Fargo growth back for a long time

- access to and from the Alerus Center

The other issue in that area that needs to be addressed is an underpass for 42nd Street at the tracks at Demers.

[Local Boy]

There is so much I could say but won't.  It's obvious nobody is going to change your mind about what the Alerus means to Grand Forks, or vice versa.  The one thing I can say is that it is a reality -- deal with it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is what you could say more "facts" like your Civic comparison? Aye, yi, yi. Your attitude and point of view worked lots better in the past when the project was all speculation and hope. Now with 4.5 years of hard #'s (bad ones btw), fumbled executions (raw food at the all schools reunion for example), and market refocusing (targeting weddings and local events/groups and competing with local businesses instead of drawing regional events) your argument is week and well..."homerism". I don't have a problem with your attitude and quest to skirt the facts. Just realize that they are very transparent.

I'm dealin' with it. My mind can be changed. How? Event days my friend, event days.

Incidentally, local businesses used the Civic for overflow, capacity purposes, and bid on civic/community events. The local businesses paid the Civic for the privilege. AND...they in effect were all sales agents working together to bring groups/$$$ to the property. A previous poster stated the point that the Alerus is a great destination for weddings, and local events. And, that the Alerus should build on this base. The property was sold to the community from the point of view that they weren

[dakotadan]

What I see is people from the community stating their support for the Alerus Center, ways that they believe that the Al can work out it's bottom line, and how it can be a positive for the entire community. On the other hand, your posts mostly revolve around criticism, and not constructive criticism. I would think that everyone in the Greater Grand Forks community wants to see the Alerus as a success. We have just been discussing how that can happen. What's wrong with that?

Call me a "homer" if you want, I'll take it as a compliment.

[Smoggy]

The other issue in that area that needs to be addressed is an underpass for 42nd Street at the tracks at Demers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I worked on the crew that did the surveying for that project (concrete project of the year!). Everyone was wondering why they weren't building an underpass then. I believe 42nd was federally funded anyways. Which is why the stop sign girl made 3x as much as me.

I do believe it's on the slate at some point (from a few years ago), but the whole intersection needs to be reworked for the underpass to happen. Also sounded like the feds are looking at redoing the Demers ramps (plus building University ramps). Maybe the city is waiting for that.

[tnt]

What I see is people from the community stating their support for the Alerus Center, ways that they believe that the Al can work out it's bottom line, and how it can be a positive for the entire community. On the other hand, your posts mostly revolve around criticism, and not constructive criticism. I would think that everyone in the Greater Grand Forks community wants to see the Alerus as a success. We have just been discussing how that can happen. What's wrong with that?

Call me a "homer" if you want, I'll take it as a compliment.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is what I call the high road, not a Denny Green self-righteous self-subscribed "high road".

[jimdahl]

The most disappointing thing about not being able to access the board yesterday was not being able to post this juicy update:

Canad Inns is asking the city of Grand Forks for flexibility to finish its $50 million hotel and water park complex next to the city-owned Alerus Center nearly seven months later than expected.

The city is the landlord and signed an agreement with the Winnipeg-based hotel company that stipulates completion by the end of 2006. The City Council will have to modify its lease agreement with Canad if it wants to grant the extension. The new completion date could be as late as June 30, 2007.

Council President Hal Gershman defended Canad, despite the delays that he recognizes are vexing, to the community. "People have to understand we have a group of individuals not even from our country willing to risk (millions) in our city," he said. It's a very complex project, he said.