NDSU Housing Development Hits City Planning Snag

The current design stretches over the block's alley way

FARGO, N.D. — Homes are torn down to make way for a $23 million college student housing complex near NDSU.

But a Fargo City Commission vote has caused construction to hit a snag.

Just a few months ago, the 1600 block of 12th Street North, Fargo was lined with houses.

The NDSU Foundation has been buying and renting out homes in the Roosevelt neighborhood since the 1980’s.

The block is now flat, making way for a student housing complex which caters to NDSU students.

The current design stretches over the block’s alley way.

This is a move that required a four to one super majority vote from the Fargo City Commission on Monday night.

It did not pass.

“A lot of students make decisions on where to rent kind of between spring break and the end of May,” said Fargo City Planning Director, Jim Gilmour. “So if they’re not going to have apartments at that time, they kind of miss out on getting renters for the entire year.”

Off-camera, many neighbors I spoke with are upset with how the neighborhood is changing.

They said what used to be a place filled with single family homes is becoming over saturated with college properties.

Long-time residents think students have plenty of nearby apartment options.

But some NDSU students said finding a place to live near campus is not easy.

“As someone who had to find a house kind of fast, it was a little nerve wracking to have to scramble and find people and find somewhere affordable,” said Sydney Dale, an NDSU Junior who lives in the neighborhood. “So I think it’s probably smart and a good investment for students. It’s kind of surprising that they haven’t done something like this sooner.

One holdout house remains on the block and city officials said it will stay after construction is finished.

The man who lives at that corner home was not there when we knocked, but neighbors told us off-camera, he was born and raised in that house and has lived there his whole life.

Moving forward, Gilmour said developers for the new complex have two options.

They can either draft a new design, or convince City Commissioners to vote in favor of the current plan.

Gilmour said if the Foundation decides to redesign, their initial plan of having occupied units by July of 2018 would be unlikely.

The building is set to have 109 college student geared apartments with 364 bedrooms.