New Era For Fargo’s Black Building

The move to bring back to life one of Fargo’s most treasured buildings will soon become reality.

KVRR’s Sarah Brechbill tells us what the Kilbourne group has in store for Fargo’s Black Building.

More than 50 tenants filled the Fargo Theatre, finding out what the future holds for the black building and their business.

“The Kilbourne group brings a lot of inspiration and a lot of positive energy to downtown and I’m looking forward to being a part of things as they change, transform and improve,” says Alisha Ankers, a tenant of Black Building. 

Alisha Ankers is an attorney downtown. She’s been in the Black Building since 1998 and while she welcomes renovations, she worries about the rise in rent.

“It’s going to be hard to anticipate what the improvements are going to cost,” says Ankers.

But keeping people downtown is what the Kilbourne group is all about.

“We’re in the business of recruiting and attracting people to live and work in offices and businesses downtown so would love to have all of these people stay downtown. And whether that’s going to be in this building or someone else’s building or another project, you can’t predict the future,” says Doug Burgum, Chairman of the Kilbourne Group.

“The black building dates back to the 1930s and at one point was the hub of downtown Fargo, something the Kilbourne group is trying to bring back.”

“Would love to hear people’s stories about their connection to the black building because everybody seems to have a story about a memory of the black building because it touched a lot of lives and a lot of people over the past 85 years,” says Burgum.

Memories that can hopefully last another 85 years. Sarah Brechbill KVRR news.

The Kilbourne group wants to see the building used as it was back in the 1930s for both retail and commercial, possibly with some food and beverage options as well.