Top 10 | September 2026 | Grand Forks EDC

1. UND Reaches Record Fall Enrollment of 15,908 Students, Growing Against National Trends

The University of North Dakota enrolled a record 15,908 students this fall as of the September 21st census date, adding 64 students to last year’s record of 15,844 (which itself surpassed a mark dating to 2012) and extending a seven-year stretch of growth. It is the largest student body in University history. The record is being fueled by a run of historically large incoming classes, with UND’s largest, third-largest, and fourth-largest freshman cohorts all currently enrolled, and retention remains strong at 82%. The growth comes as enrollment across the North Dakota University System totaled 47,377, a decrease of 145 students from fall 2025, and as institutions in other parts of the country contend with a shrinking pool of college-age students. The record reflects sustained work by the university and the surrounding community, adding to the region’s talent pipeline and local economic activity!

2. GF City Council Approves PILOT for Ray Richards Golf Course Redevelopment

The Grand Forks City Council approved a 20-year, 90% payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) on September 8th for Activate RRGC LLC’s redevelopment of the Ray Richards Golf Course. The 5-2 vote followed approvals by the School Board on August 10th and the County Commission on August 18th, making the Council’s action the last one needed to advance the project. The redevelopment reshapes the existing course to accommodate the 42nd Street underpass currently under construction and pairs a 169-unit multi-family housing building with a Toptracer driving range facility. The updated development agreement calls for financial lookbacks of the PILOT every 5 years and lowers the initial internal rate of return that triggers an adjustment to the tax exemption percentage, from 9.75% to 7.75%. The developer must still obtain construction permits, and any major changes to the project would require city approval.

EDC President & CEO Keith Lund was among those present in support at several meetings throughout the process. The project has been in development for nearly 3 years and was reshaped from its original concept to preserve the character of the surrounding neighborhood, with UND President Andrew Armacost credited for his direct involvement in shaping the project and the discussion around it. The added housing and recreation amenities support the region’s ability to attract companies and people, adding to growth and diversification. Groundbreaking is targeted for spring 2027, with completion about 2 years later.

3. European Ownership Group Interested in Acquiring BI Biorefinery

A European ownership group has expressed interest in purchasing the BI Biorefinery, the ethanol and alcohol plant on the north side of Grand Forks. The facility operated as Red River Biorefinery, was completed in 2020 with an investment of approximately $100 million, and was acquired by its current owners in 2024. It had been expected to reopen by summer 2025; however, no new timeline has been set. A closing could come this year, with the prospective owners expected to visit Grand Forks this fall and a development agreement with the city expected before the City Council in October. Wastewater pretreatment and other upgrades would likely require additional reinvestment before production resumes, and the group is evaluating a different feedstock mix than the sugar beet tailings and potatoes used previously.

4. Franklin Marketplace Receives FlexPACE Loan and Renaissance Zone Incentive for Proposed Restaurants

The Grand Forks Job Development Authority approved a $107,682 Quality of Life FlexPACE loan on September 8th for Franklin Marketplace LLC’s proposed restaurants, following a recommendation from the Growth Fund Committee on August 24th. The project adds an important quality-of-life entertainment destination in the heart of downtown, providing a venue for families and an under-21 crowd. The loan buys down the interest on a commercial loan for the project. At the same meeting, the City Council approved a Renaissance Zone leasehold improvement incentive for the project, providing 8 years of state income tax exemption, and transferred a Class 4 alcoholic beverage license from MMW Hospitality LLC (formerly Ground Round) to Franklin Marketplace.

5. GF Leaders Tour Sioux Falls Riverfront Developments

Thirty-one Grand Forks community leaders traveled to Sioux Falls on September 15th and 16th to tour riverfront development projects. The group included Mayor Brandon Bochenski, City Administrator Todd Feland, City Council members, city staff, Chamber and Downtown Development Association representatives, and local developers, architects, and engineers, with EDC President & CEO Keith Lund among the participants. The delegation toured two developments of multiple buildings housing office, retail, apartment, and condominium space, including the Steel District redevelopment and its riverwalks along the Big Sioux River. The visit gave Grand Forks decision-makers and development professionals a firsthand look at mixed-use riverfront development in a peer regional city.

6. Cruger-Schille Highlights Regional Ranking in Prairie Business

EDC Director of Economic Development Becca Cruger-Schille wrote a September 16th Prairie Business column on the Grand Forks Region’s recognition as the top Tier 3 metro for corporate investment projects per capita in 2025. The ranking reflects coordinated work among economic development, city, county, school district, and state leaders and cites more than $2 billion in announced development over the past seven years across agribusiness, manufacturing, and defense. It also points to the growth of existing employers, including Cirrus Aircraft’s $13 million, 30,000-square-foot production expansion, and to the region’s expanding unmanned autonomous systems (UAS) ecosystem.

7. EDC Staff Engage Site Selectors, Midwest Economic Developers, Agribusiness Leaders, and Marketing Peers at Fall Events

In line with its strategic plan, EDC staff took part in four industry events over the past month, engaging site selectors, Midwest economic development leaders, agribusiness companies, and marketing peers. EDC Director of Economic Development Becca Cruger-Schille attended the Site Selectors Guild Fall Forum, held September 14th through 16th in Cleveland, which brings together roughly 30 site selection consultants who advise corporations worldwide with economic development professionals and offers one-on-one conversations with site selectors on mid- to large-sized projects. EDC staff also attended the MidAmerica Economic Development Council’s annual conference, held August 31st through September 2nd in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which provides targeted engagement with site selectors working in the Midwest’s priority industries. EDC Business Development Manager Howard Brockhouse attended the Big Iron Farm and Construction Show, held September 15th through 17th in West Fargo, where he connected with established and emerging agribusiness companies as well as state agencies. EDC Marketing & Communications Manager Mark Maliskey attended the Development Counsellors International (DCI) Marketing Summit, held September 23rd through 25th in Denver, which included sessions on strengthening marketing efforts for economic development organizations and workforce. The events give EDC direct contact with site selectors and agribusiness companies in the sectors the region is pursuing, as well as peer practice in economic development and talent attraction marketing.

8. Cruger-Schille Invited to Governor's Workforce Summit as State Proposes New Workforce Department

EDC Director of Economic Development Becca Cruger-Schille was invited to attend the Governor’s Workforce Summit on September 23rd in Bismarck, a one-day gathering of policymakers, workforce agencies, economic development professionals, and industry leaders focused on workforce recruitment and retention.

At the summit, Governor Kelly Armstrong announced a proposed cabinet-level Department of Workforce Development and named Katie Ralston Howe its first commissioner. The department would combine the Department of Commerce’s workforce development division, Job Service North Dakota, adult education, vocational rehabilitation, refugee resettlement, and the State Apprenticeship Office, with roughly 300 staff, and would take effect July 1st, 2027, if approved by the Legislature. The Workforce Development Council also unveiled 11 legislative recommendations. The consolidation is intended to give employers and job seekers a single point of entry to state workforce services, with North Dakota’s unemployment rate at 2.2% in August, the second lowest in the nation.

9. GF Hosts State Aviation Leaders From Across the Country for 95th NASAO Convention

The National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) held its 95th Annual Convention & Trade Show in Grand Forks from September 13th through 16th at the Alerus Center, hosted by the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission. NASAO represents the state aviation agencies of all 50 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico, and the annual convention brings those officials together to discuss industry issues and public funding priorities while engaging the host state’s aviation community. The program, themed “50 States, One Sky,” included a look at North Dakota’s aviation sector and emerging UAS technologies. EDC staff attended the event as it offered the opportunity to highlight Grand Forks’ UAS sector to federal officials, and hosting the convention put the region’s aviation and UAS activity in front of state aviation leaders from across the country. The convention ended with a demonstration from CVS Air Response at Gorman Field, highlighting VANTIS and the small test range’s capabilities.

10. UND Receives $408,184 in Federal HHS Funding for Biomedical Research and Training

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the University of North Dakota $408,184, according to an announcement from U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer’s office. The funding is distributed through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and supports biomedical research and research training at the university. The award is a modest addition to UND’s federal research funding and supports both active research and the training of researchers.

11. Interim Higher Education Committee Concludes Campus Tour at UND

The North Dakota Legislature’s Interim Higher Education Committee met at the UND Memorial Union on September 22nd, the final stop on a 14-month tour of all 11 North Dakota University System campuses. UND leaders briefed lawmakers on enrollment and retention, the School of Law, and research and economic development (including the Energy & Environmental Research Center), and reported on how the University carried out funding and policy commitments from the last legislative session. The School of Medicine & Health Sciences presented its legislatively required biennial report and highlighted ND85, a program to raise the share of North Dakotans among medical school enrollees to 85% by 2030 as a way to grow the state’s healthcare workforce. The committee is chaired by Sen. Jonathan Sickler of Grand Forks, a UND alumnus, and the meeting gave legislators a direct look at the University’s operations ahead of the 2027 legislative session.