GRAND FORKS — Mayor Brandon Bochenski will speak about the ongoing development and growth in the city during his State of the City address on Wednesday, May 10, at the Alerus Center.
This year's event is free and open to the public and will follow a different format. Instead of a mid-day luncheon, the State of the City this year will be a speech followed by a social.
It begins at 4 p.m.
“We’ll talk about the ongoing (stuff) the last couple of years in the various departments, talk about budget and then really, it’s just going to be positive and future looking,” Bochenski said.
Bochenski also will speak about the increase in the value of construction permits. He said the city last year granted permits for projects that total approximately $440 million. Generally the five-year average of those permits is around $221 million.
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Taxable sales also have increased.
“Over the last three years we’ve averaged over 11% (in increases) and inflation’s been around 6%,” Bochenski said. “So we’ve almost doubled the inflation, which is good. It just shows there’s an appetite to spend, which shows consumer confidence. That’s pretty exciting.”
The last State of the City address Bochenski gave was in 2021 , which was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bochenski has decided to hold the State of the City addresses every other year.
In the past, State of the City events have also highlighted Grand Forks’ successes and future. In 2019, then-Mayor Mike Brown centered his speech on private developments and public infrastructure projects, and in 2020 he spoke on boosting the city’s retail sector. In 2021, Bochenski noted city staff accomplishments along with upcoming development projects at the time.
Bochenski said other speakers Wednesday will include UND President Andrew Armacost, Col. Delbert Rivera, the vice commander of the 319th Reconnaissance Wing at Grand Forks Air Force Base and Altru CEO Todd Forkel.
The event, co-hosted by the Chamber of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, is free and open to the public. People can also watch the speech on the city's website and Facebook page .
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