We are part of The Trust Project.
GRAND FORKS — The Franklin on Fourth development project received approval from the Downtown Design Review Board for the final design of the building, which will be located downtown at 214 N. Fourth St.
Crews started demolition of the former Lyons Garage and Auto Supply building in early February to make way for the six-story, mixed-use development that will contain retail and restaurant space on the first floor and apartments on floors two through six.
The Downtown Design Review Board received an update on the scope of the project, including what the exterior of the building is planned to look like, the materials that are planned to be used and what amenities the building will offer.
Brittany Dawson, a project architect at Craftwell Architecture + Construction and the project manager for Franklin on Fourth, said the goal of the project is to “create a venue, which encompasses a network of vendors bringing the local community together under one roof to provide a variety of fresh and exciting designs that revitalizes the downtown neighborhood.”
Along with revitalizing the downtown area, Dawson said the goal is also to engage the pedestrians and provide unique, high-end, budget friendly apartments located downtown.
ADVERTISEMENT
Dawson said inspiration for the exterior of the building was gathered from adjacent buildings including Central High School, City Hall and the Grand Forks Herald building, which all have a lighter color exterior.
Some of the planned materials that will be used on the building include polished concrete, veneer brick and metal panels, which Dawson said is typical to exteriors of buildings in downtown Fargo.
Chris Hawley, a principal at Craftwell Architecture + Construction, said the durability of materials being used on buildings always matter.
“We’ve been really thoughtful about trying to search for things that are going to hold up to the urban environment,” Hawley said.
Franklin on Fourth will offer underground parking containing a total of 94 parking stalls including handicap parking, a four-season patio and around 122 apartments ranging from studios to three bedrooms. Other amenities for the tenants include a dog park on the sixth floor, club rooms and additional outdoor patios.
On the first floor a mix of commercial, retail and restaurant space will be available, including along the back of the building off of the alleyway. Dawson said ideally the only traffic that would be going through the alleyway are passenger vehicles and pedestrians.
While board member Blue Weber mentioned the potential safety issues of a dog park being located on the sixth floor of the building, Dawson said a four-foot solid wall will be placed around the perimeter and railing on top.
Weber also questioned how the all-season patio will be sheltered during the winter months. Dawson said proposals from a landscape architect plan to have planters placed around the patio to make it more private, along with heat lamps and mobile fire pits being placed.
