I don’t make it a secret that one of my priorities is to revitalize our Downtown/Uptown. MCM has added 6 stores this past year (not including the popups). Rustica, Junkyard brewery, and a couple others have added to the mix. We have a number of renovations happening on Center Avenue, and there are other announcements in our Downtown/Uptown of which I am crossing my fingers will happen in the next couple months. I think it’s a great start. Fargo’s Downtown was a process. I believe ours will also be… and I think will be faster for a variety of reasons.

One of the reasons is that we are just across the river from one of the top #10 best downtowns in the nation, if you follow internet lists. Our downtown will have a different feel/look but we can benefit from the symbiotic nature of our two areas. The connector bus could be really good. Our Mall stores and a number of businesses in our downtown have expressed interest that we pursue this opportunity. The bus would route around every 15 minutes from 7am to 7pm, Monday through Friday, and a little shorter hours on Saturday. The bus would be free, and is being paid for by the City of Fargo. It does assist the City of Fargo with their parking issue, and I am fully aware of that. I am good with being a good neighbor, yet fully on alert that we don’t impact regular shoppers at the Mall. The devil IS in the details. Mayor Mahoney and I will appoint a joint group to better plan to make this a win-win for both communities. I appreciate your advice and ideas. Stay tuned.