In Moorhead, a rare opportunity to hit reset button on entire downtown
The city across the river from Fargo is tearing down a mall to rebuild a downtown in hopes of drawing residents and fostering lively streets.
By Reid Forgrave, Star Tribune
JUNE 26, 2023
Moorhead has long had a chip on its shoulder. With an ambitious rethinking of its struggling downtown, this western Minnesota city in the Red River Valley is trying to do something about it.
Moorhead often feels overshadowed by its big-brother city, Fargo, across the river and with three times the population. A big part of the city’s inferiority complex is a downtown that’s on life support, especially compared with Fargo’s bustling, walkable downtown.
But Moorhead is soon to embark on an exceedingly rare project: taking a metaphorical stick of dynamite to an established downtown and starting over.
The downtown redevelopment plan will feature a Scandinavian-themed design referring to the city’s roots while also nodding to Moorhead’s increasing diversity. It will attempt to incorporate the river, trails, green space and nature. For community leaders, it’s as important to be connected with downtown Fargo as it is to differentiate Moorhead as uniquely Minnesotan; as a border city, its more progressive politics can be subsumed by North Dakota’s more conservative politics, along with its Minnesota identity.
Developers and community leaders hope it all combines to send a message: You’re in Minnesota now, not Fargo.