Planning Permission Values, Taxable Sales Reflect Strong Economy in Grand Forks – Grand Forks Herald

GRAND FORKS – Economic growth in Grand Forks will be strong as of 2022, according to the mayor and head of the local Chamber of Commerce.

Last year, the city issued building permits for projects totaling $440,489,957. In 2021 that total was $168,089,376 and in 2020 it was $256,295,102.

Barry Wilfahrt, president and CEO of the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce, said the numbers reflect a strong economy in the city.

“I think it shows that commercial development and the commercial economy is extremely strong in Grand Forks,” Wilfahrt said. “And I think anyone just looking around the community can see all the new buildings that are being built and you can see the construction happening.”

The surge in building permits was highlighted by Mayor Brandon Bochenski during his May 10 State of the City address. During his speech, Bochenski said the total value of building permits in 2022 was 100% higher than the city’s five-year average of $221 million.

The last time the city saw higher building permit values ​​was in 2014 with a total of $366,599,640 and again in 2019 with a total of $329,061,146. Year-end value factors relate to building permits for newly constructed buildings and repairs and extensions to existing buildings.

So far, the building permit value in 2023 is $8,422,392.

Wilfahrt said the current construction boom is the strongest Grand Forks has seen since the 1997 flood.

Some of the ongoing projects include developments specifically for retail stores, such as the Grove, a 27,800-square-foot mall being built in south Grand Forks.

Wilfahrt said the trend toward more standalone stores has also been evident in Grand Forks over the years. For example, several stores formerly located at Columbia Mall have moved to malls and storefronts.

“It’s the trend, going in that direction,” he said. “But the fact that our mall hasn’t been able to really hold its own is what I think has embraced that trend in Grand Forks faster than other communities.”

Other ongoing development in the city includes mixed-use developments such as EPIC Companies’ Franklin on Fourth project and The Beacon, both of which will offer retail and residential space, and the Olive Ann boutique hotel and events center. All three projects are in the city center.

Wilfahrt said the new downtown development, including the addition of the boutique hotel and events center, will bring something special to the area.

“I think that gives people another option and I think that will certainly be attractive to visitors,” he said.

Looking ahead to the city’s future growth, Wilfahrt said it will take time for the new development to catch on, particularly for new housing construction in south Grand Forks.

“Again, I think the community needs to grow a little bit into what’s being built right now. And from a housing perspective, we may not see huge new apartment complexes downtown, but I think there will continue to be additional commercial growth in the community,” he said.

Wilfahrt said the strong economy in Grand Forks is also reflected in taxable sales, which was highlighted during the state of the city address. Bochenski said annual sales growth over the past three years has been 11.6%, nearly doubling the rate of inflation.

“We’ve had double-digit taxable sales for several years in a row, and it’s yet again proof that our economy is actually doing quite well,” Wilfahrt said.

Meghan Arbegast grew up in Security-Widefield, Colorado. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from North Dakota State University in Fargo in 2021.

Arbegast wrote for The Spectrum, NDSU’s student newspaper, for three years and was the news editor for two years. In the last two semesters of her studies she was an intern at University Relations.

Arbegast reports on all things Grand Forks/East Grand Forks news, including coverage of City Hall.

Readers can contact Arbegast at 701-780-1267 or [email protected].

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