Fargo Housing Authority Selling Downtown High Rise

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The Fargo Housing and Redevelopment Authority has announced that it will be selling the downtown Fargo High Rise building.

The high-rise is no skyscraper, but it is the second tallest building in Fargo.

Housing authority officials says internally the building is in need of major improvements.

A for sale sign will soon be up in front the Fargo High Rise building in Downtown Fargo.

Housing Authority officials says the building which mostly houses low income, elderly and people with disabilities has one issue in particular that has forced them to make the decision.
 
“The plumbing has deteriorated to a point that there are constant leaks in the plumbing,” said Lynn Fundingsland, Housing Authority Executive Director.
 
To repair the current plumbing issues the nearly 50-year-old building needs to be gutted from the bottom up, something the authority says it does not have the resources to do.
 
Fundingsland says its best to sell the building now before the ongoing plumbing issues forces tenants to involuntarily vacate.
 
“We’re afraid at some point in the near future the building will be shut down for health reasons because of the plumbing,” said Fundingsland.
 
Fundingsland says tenants will be given help with finding a new place to live, and some I spoke to say the news is already hard to hear.
 
“We’re a family here so that’s going to hurt leaving them all, but I guess I’m in for whatever they have in store for me,” said Catherine Simson, who is a tenant at the High Rise.
 
“I walk to downtown about 3 or 4 times a day when it’s warm so I’ll miss all of that,” said Thomas Jones who is also a tenant.
 
Fundingsland says the money used from the sale will be used to build a new affordable housing building, and tenants will have plenty of time to process the change.
 
“The buyer would have to agree to give us two-years to build a new, and vacate so we have a couple of years to vacate the building,” said Fundingsland.
 
The high rise houses just over 240 residents, the authority says the property might be worth as much as $6 million.