Three planned multi-family housing projects would add nearly 150 more housing units to Grand Forks as construction activity continues to hum along in the city.
The city has approved plans for dueling 51-unit and 42-unit three-floor apartment complexes with underground and surface parking lots just north of Columbia Mall bordering 24th Avenue South and South 30th Street.
Another potential three-story, 44-unit apartment complex may also be built just south of 48th Avenue South and east of Curran Court. Plans have been submitted to the city, but approvals have not yet been issued.
In addition, plans for a prospective three-floor, 12-unit multi-family housing facility have also been submitted to the city for just south of 36th Avenue South and east of Shady Lane. Approvals have not yet been issued from the city for that project.
"We kind of had a lull there and things are starting to pick up again," Ryan Brooks, a senior planner with the city, said of construction in the city.
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Ground is also being moved at two sites along 40th Avenue on the southern edge of Grand Forks to make way for more than 50 future new home lots.
Street, road and utility work is being done on an empty field on the southeast corner of South Columbia Road and 40th Avenue South. Brooks estimated that the site will be the future location of about 46 new home lots. A stormwater retention pond will also be part of the project.
Work is also underway nearby east on 40th Avenue to eventually add as many as 10 additional new single-family home lots. The development will help fill in an empty field between existing homes north of 40th Avenue and South Washington Street.
Monthly single-dwelling building permits for construction in Grand Forks totaled $8.6 million for the first seven months of the year, roughly equal to the same time period a year earlier. Townhome and apartment permits are also up significantly so far this year from the first half of 2010.
Commercial construction has also been strong in Grand Forks. While East Grand Forks has experienced a drop in permits for new single-family homes, overall construction permit values are up by more than a million from January to July, compared to the same period last year.
The city has also approved an office building project, the 42nd Street Business Center, just west of Interstate 29 and south of 32nd Avenue South in Grand Forks.
Thief River Falls airport improvements
An open house was held this week at the Thief River Falls Regional Airport to show off the completion of the airport's new multi-purpose hangar and renovations to the commercial and general aviation passenger terminal.
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The recently-completed hangar was built with $2.1 million in state bonding funds. In addition to passenger traffic, freight operations are a critical component of the Thief River Falls airport.
Five daily freight flights from the airport serve businesses in the region. In 2010 more than 1.5 million packages were shipped from the Thief River Falls airport. Airport officials anticipate that number will increase to more than 2 million this year.
Gas prices rise
The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Grand Forks was $3.77 on Friday, up eight cents from a week earlier and $1.10 more than the same day a year ago, according to a national survey of gas stations.
The average price for regular unleaded in Grand Forks was seven cents per gallon more than in Fargo, but it was more than six cents per gallon cheaper than Bismarck's average of $3.84 on Friday.
North Dakota's average price for regular unleaded gas was $3.80 per gallon on Friday, according to data provided by the Oil Price Information Service.
Open house planned for animal hospital
A Sept. 17 open house has been planned for the Kindness Animal Hospital at its new location at 2325 32nd Avenue South in a building that formerly housed an auto dealership.
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The facility, which provides services for small animals that are sick, require preventative care or need soft tissue or orthopedic surgery, is now open. The animal hospital was previously located at 4400 32nd Avenue South.
Schuster reports on business. Reach him at (701) 780-1107; (800) 477-6572, ext. 107, or email rschuster@gfherald.com . Follow Schuster on Twitter at @RyanSchuster.
