Some time ago, I learned that there were at least 5,000 people living within a six-block radius of our downtown district. That number is larger than most towns in North Dakota, and yet we still have no full-service grocers in the central district. To that end I propose that the city buy out the adult bookstore at 417 NP Avenue. Pay fair market value for the building & pay to move them to the properly zoned area of town for that type of business.

Raze the adult entertainment building and the vacant building next door to it. Build one or two levels of subgrade public parking on the entire section of that block. Then build a grocery store on top of the subgrade parking. In other words the city owns both the underground parking lot and the the building that will house the future grocers. This is important because it should get us around the problem of eminent domain laws...in this case, seizing/razing one for-profit business to allow another more useful and important for-profit business to take its place. The city puts out the word that it is looking for a quality grocery store to lease this newly-built MUNICIPAL SPACE. Preference will likely be given first to local established outlets, but failing that new national chain would also be welcome. (No 'Whole Paycheck' chains, please! We have a growing college demographic in town.) To avoid the deadening effect of a the typical grocery store's blank walls, wrap them in large glazed well-lit advert boxes at street level - another source of revenue for the city. Sell the air rights about the grocers for efficiencies/studios/apts separated by a 5-story glazed atrium. Deliveries to be made in alley using specially-designed weather-proofed 'bays' that roll out of the main body of the building & line up behind the semi-trailers. Attach new segments of skyways going north to US Bank Plaza and south to Island Park parking ramp across Main Avenue. Stir in gleeful downtowners and then jump back to avoid being trampled!