If Grand Forks City Council follows its Finance/Development Committee recommendation, the Alerus Center could purchase all three of the lots it is negotiating for.
The Grand Forks Events Center commission voted last week to spend $3 million on the land purchase, which needs final approval by the City Council.
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The committee recommended Monday that the Alerus Center purchase the three lots south of the city-owned events center, and some council members expressed interest in negotiations for a fourth lot.
Council members asked how much the land purchase would affect the Alerus Center’s finances, and Maureen Storstad, city director of finance, said there would be some reallocation of money among the Alerus Center’s funds, which would be paid back within two years.
“I like the concept of buying all the land,” said council member Dana Sande, “but we only have so much money.” He said, if possible, he’d like to see negotiations start on the lot between two of the three lots recommended for purchase.
City Attorney Howard Swanson said the other lot was not pursued because its owner didn’t express as much interest as the owner of the three lots in negotiations.
Swanson said some uses for the land, if acquired, could be storage or parking. One of the lots is already sometimes rented by the Alerus Center for parking, he said.
