Alerus Center

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Alerus Center

Location 1200 South 42nd Street
Grand Forks, ND 58201
Opened February 10, 2001
Owner City of Grand Forks, ND
Operator Compass Management
Surface Multi-surface
Construction cost $80 million USD
Architect Schoen & Associates
Johnson Laffen Architects
Tenants
North Dakota Fighting Sioux football (2001-present)
Seats
Concert: 21,000
Football: 13,500

The Alerus Center is an indoor arena located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It opened in 2001. It is the home of the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team. The arena also plays host to many large concerts, sporting events, and trade shows. It can seat as many as 22,500 people at one time. The facility includes an adjacent convention center which features twelve meeting rooms and a 28,000 square foot (2,600 m²) ballroom. The convention center is used for conferences, seminars, banquets, parties, and smaller concerts. The Alerus Center is named after a local bank, Alerus Financial, which purchased the facility's naming rights.

The arena has had many big musical acts including Cher, The Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, KISS, Aerosmith, Bette Midler, Cirque du Soleil, and Mötley Crüe. The 2002 Cher concert was the largest such event ever held at the arena and, at that time, was the largest audience the entertainer had ever performed in front of. Other non-music events have also been held at the Alerus Center including WWE Smackdown.

Grand Forks is unique because it is a relatively small market with two major event centers that often bid on the same events: the Alerus Center and the Ralph Engelstad Arena. To a lesser extent, the Chester Fritz Auditorium in Grand Forks also sometimes competes for these same events as well.

Construction has started on an adjacent $40-$50 million "destination center." This addition will include a 13-story Canad Inns hotel, a large waterpark, three restaurants, and another currently unspecififed attraction. A wellness center and spa may be added in the future.

[edit] History

  • 1984 - A vote to increase the local sales tax to expand the downtown Civic Auditorium fails
  • 1992 - A vote to fund a new convention center on 32nd Avenue South fails
  • 1995 - A vote to increase the local sales tax to build a new events center (dubbed The Aurora Events Center) passes with 60% approval
  • 1996 - Voters approve spending an additional $17 million to fund the project after the price tag rises
  • 1997 - Grand Forks experiences the Flood of 1997 which delays the project
  • 1998 - The Aurora is redesigned to make the facility less susceptible to future flooding
  • 1999 - Compass Management is hired to manage the facility
  • 2000 - The Aurora is renamed The Alerus Center after Alerus Financial, a local bank, buys naming rights for a period of 20 years
  • 2001 - The Alerus Center opens on February 10
  • 2006 - The Alerus Center celebrates its 5th anniversary
  • 2006 - Construction starts on the Canad Inns hotel tower and water park

[edit] External link

The University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Academics: School of Aerospace Sciences | School of Law | School of Medicine
Athletics: The Fighting Sioux | Baseball | Basketball | Football | Hockey | Soccer | Volleyball
Facilities: Alerus Center | Betty Engelstad Sioux Center | Chester Fritz Auditorium | Chester Fritz Library | Energy and Environmental Research Center | Memorial Stadium | National Center for Hydrogen Technology | Ralph Engelstad Arena (old) | Ralph Engelstad Arena (new)
Media: Dakota Student | Fighting Sioux Sports Network | KFJM
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