Roers files building permit application for Fargo townhome project

FARGO, N.D. (KFGO) –  Jim Roers, President of Roers Construction and Development, has filed an application for a building permit to build seven townhomes on the block near the St. Paul Newman Center Church and the View Apartments at 12th Avenue North and University Drive. It’s the latest move in the ongoing controversy over the Fargo townhome construction issue between the city and the builder.

Roers said in a statement that his company is ready to break ground as soon as the building permit is approved and anticipates the townhomes will be ready for occupancy by the end of this year.

According to Roers, the townhome project is the final phase of a multi-year project at the site and is the last $2 million of the $50 million project.

Last week, following a closed-door meeting, the city commission voted to send a notice to Roers company that it was in default of the developer’s agreement to build the townhomes that were supposed to have been completed by the end of December of 2021. The city said Roers would have 60 days to correct the default.

Roers said the construction delay was the result of supply chain issues, construction delays, and cost increases resulting from the COVID pandemic. “We have found a solution to ensure these units remain reasonably priced for families and we are able to construct them in an expeditious manner,” he said.

Roers told KFGO News earlier that the action taken by the city was political as his daughter, Shannon Roers Jones is a Fargo mayoral candidate. She is general counsel for the Roers company.

At the May 2nd city commission meeting, City Commissioner Dave Piepkorn called Jim Roers a liar who never planned to build the townhomes.