Today, the city of Moorhead released renderings showing what a possible new Moorhead downtown project replacing the aging Moorhead Center Mall might look like. The proposal would include an all-new community center & regional library.
The 16-acre development site is currently the home to the Moorhead Center Mall, which opened in 1973, and includes surface parking lots and a parking ramp at the site of the former Herberger’s department store. The $200-250 million plan calls for razing the current nine full city blocks with an array of apartments, townhomes, condos, shops, and restaurants. The five-year plan would create 1,200 living spaces, over 100 retail and dining spots, and approximately 2,000 parking spaces.
Moorhead City Manager Dan Mahli said, “This is a big step for Moorhead and one the community has been planning for years.”
Development partners Roers, JLG Architects, Stantec, Downtown Moorhead Inc., and the city of Moorhead announced the plan at the Hjemkomst Center. Demolition at the site could begin as soon as 2023, according to developers.
Community Center & Regional Library
As part of the City of Moorhead’s strategic plan and with the support of the Moorhead City Council, Mayor Shelly Carlson appointed a Community Center/Regional Library Task Force in fall 2021 to work with the community to develop the vision for this project, including features/amenities and location. The Task Force developed some broad parameters for the project:
- A Community Center where people can gather and connect
- A Regional Library to meet current/future information needs
- A place where ideas and dreams can take shape
- A central, downtown location
In spring 2022, the Task Force and the City of Moorhead held several public listening sessions to learn what citizens wanted to see in the project. Top requests included:
- Gathering/collaborative space
- Walking track
- Indoor play area
- Meeting place for all ages
- Coworker/maker hands-on learning spaces
- Greenspace/plants
The feedback from these citizen-input sessions led to the creation of the renderings from JLG.
On November 8, 2022, City of Moorhead voters will have the opportunity to approve a 0.5 percent local option sales tax to be used to fund this new Community Center/Regional Library in downtown Moorhead.