Fargo commission ranks downtown Civic Center proposal first for convention-center project
The Fargo City Commission has ranked the EAPC/Kilbourne Group’s downtown Civic Center proposal first for the city’s planned Convention Center Project, moving the proposal into negotiations for a possible development agreement.
The commission took the action during its June 22, 2026, meeting. The proposal includes a convention center and hotel project in downtown Fargo.
The vote does not mean a final development agreement has been signed or that construction has been authorized. The meeting record identifies the proposal as the first-ranked option, with further terms still to be negotiated and later approvals still required.
What commissioners directed
Commissioners voted to deem and accept the EAPC Kilbourne Group/Downtown Civic Center proposal as the first-ranked proposal for the Convention Center Project, according to the city’s meeting record.
As part of that action, the commission directed the city to immediately begin negotiations with the first-ranked proposer on a development agreement. Those negotiations are the next identified step for the downtown Civic Center proposal.
The commission also directed the city attorney to prepare potential amendments to Fargo’s lodging-tax ordinances. The record does not specify what the possible ordinance changes would contain.
What remains to be decided
The June 22 record does not state a final project cost, financing package, hotel-room count, completed design, construction start date or completion date. Those matters remain subject to negotiations and later approvals.
That distinction matters because the commission selected a preferred proposal rather than completing the project-approval process. The city’s choice sets the downtown Civic Center plan ahead of other proposals for the purpose of negotiating a potential agreement, but it does not establish final terms.
A convention center and hotel project could shape the next phase of downtown redevelopment and could involve lodging-tax policy, based on the actions ordered by the commission. However, the meeting record does not establish the eventual financing structure or the details of any public support.
Separate item delayed
The same meeting record notes that a separate proposal-decision item was delayed for the incoming commission and mayor. The delay was tied to the relevant foundation board not being scheduled to meet until August.
The supplied record does not identify that separate item or provide its eventual outcome. For the first-ranked downtown Civic Center proposal, the known next actions are negotiations on a potential development agreement and the city attorney’s preparation of potential lodging-tax ordinance amendments.
Sources
- The City of Fargo – June 22, 2026 Minutes, City of Fargo