Fargo city officials want to improve quality of life downtown

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — City officials are deciding how to add more green spaces, bike lanes and better parking in downtown Fargo.

“I think our challenge now is to meet the demands of how many people we have downtown and how we integrate that with the residents. I think, the next part of the focus will be, ‘Let’s look at the community that is downtown and try to see what we can do to enhance that experience,'” Fargo Mayor Dr. Tim Mahoney said.

At Fargo City Hall, Downtown InFocus reflects on how the city has changed in the last decade with new gathering spaces like Broadway Square and residential buildings as the city grows.

“I’m glad that we’re revisiting the plan, the 5-year plan. There’s been an assessment that 55% of the goals at the time have been somewhat accomplished. We have a revision that we need to make because society’s changed because of COVID. That means we got to change with those changes and that’s why it’s really important that the consultants are back again and we’re going to be working on the plan,” President of Fargo Park District Dawn Morgan said.

They still want to add to the downtown neighborhood with a main focus towards improving the community’s quality of life.

“It’s about making sure that we’re addressing some of the day-to-day issues around parking, for instance or perceptions of safety. I would say, most importantly, it’s about encouraging some of the same things we’ve been doing. More housing, more space for people to gather, more activities. Those are the things that bring people downtown and customers for local businesses,” Principal at Interface Studio Scott Page said.

Page says this meeting is the start of many conversations to decide what’s next for downtown Fargo.