Phase I of First Street Improvements Moves Forward
May 23, 2025 —The City Commission recently approved a resolution determining the insufficiency of protests for Street Improvement District 236, also known as First Street Improvements Phase I. North Dakota Century Code requires letters of protest to come from property owners in the specific improvement district. A total of 491 protest letters were received, with the most coming from residents outside the district and non-residents. After review, 20% of the district was protested, but over 50% is required by state law for project to be protested out.
Parking concerns. Letters of protest mainly addressed parking concerns. Staff and leaders have heard business owner, patrons, and resident concerns regarding the possible changes in parking. The project, as of the May 6 meeting, was only at 30% design, and parking will be closely looked at as the design process is completed.
“We will be contacting business owners throughout the remainder of this process, so we have your input into what we can possibly do design-wise,” states Mayor Jim Froelich.
ADA requirements. Some of the proposed parking changes are expected to be necessary , as the City is required to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) design standards for an improvement project. These requirements are mandatory despite any federal or state funding for a project. The main issue along the Fourth Ave NW portion of this project is the many different heights of entry points into businesses.
Parking study. The Engineering Department met with business owners in the area a couple times since the Feb. 3 public input meeting on the project. A parking study was done in February and again in April at the request of the public. The results of the parking study show that even with changes to the number of spaces, the preliminary design will more than meet typical weekday and weekend parking needs.
Project cost. The phase I project is estimated at $6.8 million. The Engineering Department secured a North Dakota Department of Transportation Urban Grant Program award of $2.35 million, as well as funding from the North Dakota Department of Water Resources in the amount of $719,816. The City has allocated $2.45 million from the Municipal Infrastructure Fund (also known as Prairie Dog Funds) which originates from oil and gas tax revenue and $768,886 from the City Utility Fund towards the project. That leaves 6% of the project cost to be paid by the special assessment district. A typical assessment is estimated at about $10,500, or $817 per year, which can be paid back over 20 years. The same typical assessment would be over $132,000 without the funding assistance.
The project includes reconstruction First Street NW from Main Street to Second Street NW, from Sixth Ave NW to Fourth Ave NW. Reconstruction includes street, sidewalk, streetlights and underground utilities; addressing safety and accessibility deficiencies on the corridor.
The project will be bid this fall, with construction set to begin in 2026. For more information, contact the Engineering Department at 701-667-3225 or visit cityofmandan.com/roadprojects.