Clay County Commission

Dan Haglund

Two key movers and shakers of the Moorhead Cultural Mall presented a progress update to the Clay County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday in Moorhead.
Fowzia Adde, executive director at the Immigrant Development Center, and Siham Amedy, A Kudish leader and project lead at Creating Community Consulting, updated the local panel about progress and goals for the mall.
The idea for the Moorhead Cultural Mall was begun two years ago after a viability study of the community.
Now that idea has bloomed into a tangible plan with some major dollars needed.
“The result was that it was received well,” said Adde. “The community wanted to see this project come downtown.”
Last week Adde, Amedy and local leaders went to St. Paul to make a pitch for state dollars.
Minnesota Sen. Rob Kupec, DFL-Moorhead, was among the locals making a push for monies from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, which is funded by sales tax revenue from the Legacy Amendment during a Senate Environmental, Climate and Legacy Committee hearing.
The local group is seeking whatever amount it can to offset the expected price tag of about $7 million for a one-story center near the intersection of Eighth Street and Center Avenue.
From the Immigrant Development Center (IDC) website, the Cultural Mall seeks $3 million in state funding, which will cover approximately 18.5 percent of the total project cost. This funding will be allocated to purchase the former Wells Fargo building in downtown Moorhead; structural reconstruction and building systems upgrades; utilities upgrades and ADA compliance.
Local matching funds will support the design, demolition, reconstruction, and tenant improvements, while tenant revenue and other sources will cover operating expenses.
The total cost breakdown includes building acquisition of $2.9 million, design and engineering $350,000, reconstruction and build-out $10.5 million; furniture, fixtures and equipment at $1.5 million, a contingency reserve of $500,000, and financing fees of $540,000. The total bill comes in at $16.3 million.
Adde, who was born in Somalia and immigrated to the United States in 1996, has been advocating for and helping immigrants within the Fargo-Moorhead metro for many years.
Adde said a collaborative effort has sprung forth with the Hjemkomst Center to showcase local entrepreneurs each month which plan to occupy the cultural mall, called cultural pop-ups. The next pop-up is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. on March 11 at the Hjemkomst Center. She said the Moorhead residents specialize in hand crafts and baking, and numerous other items.
“Everybody comes together from different cultures, the new Americans, the indigenous community,” Adde said.
There are three different organizations collaborating, including the Immigrant Development Center, the Indigenous Association and Inclusive Moorhead.
Adde added that Moorhead has become quite multicultural in the recent past. She said there are 56 languages spoken in the Moorhead School District, and more than 10 percent of households speak a language other than English.
“Our culture is very rich, is one of our greatest assets,” Adde said. “However, we lack dedicated spaces to celebrate, share and preserve diverse culture and tradition that makes Moorhead unique.”
She adds that the Cultural Mall will fill this critical gap, creating a vibrant hub for cultural exchange, traditional art and heritage preservation.