Fargo approves December 5th special election for Fargodome expansion, remodel

[KSBisonFan]

Your poll.....do BV'ers outside of Fargo get to vote? I live in sioux falls; I stay in motels 4 or 5 times during the football season, so I guess the 3 % motel tax effects me. I'm not going to say how I would vote.

Just an informal count for Bisonville residents, regardless of where they live. I'm also out of state, but fully expect to see large taxes on hotel bills pertaining to projects like this. Poll can be anonymous.

[Son of a Bison]

Will vote yes. Fargo Dome has been nothing but great for Fargo and needs these improvements to keep it up to date.

[EP NDSU Fan]

Just an informal count for Bisonville residents, regardless of where they live. I'm also out of state, but fully expect to see large taxes on hotel bills pertaining to projects like this. Poll can be anonymous.

Also out of state, MN, and a recovering tax accountant. Has anyone seen the forecasted revenue breakout between the .25% general sales tax vs the 3.0% lodging tax? I would assume the latter would affect Fargo residents minimally. Also, fun fact I moved out of DT MSP about 10 years ago and the total sales tax on food and bev at that point was 10.775%. Yikes.

[AKBison]

Just an informal count for Bisonville residents, regardless of where they live. I'm also out of state, but fully expect to see large taxes on hotel bills pertaining to projects like this. Poll can be anonymous.

I think the people voting on this need to get a sense on what's going to happen if the vote doesn't pass. I don't live in Fargo and get a vote but greatly care about this because the facility is on campus and it affects my alma mater. With that said, if I was to get a vote I would vote no as it is a ton of money and locks us into a facility that is not the long term answer for NDSU. My hope would be that by voting No it would continue to press the issue and force NDSU and Fargo to find a way to partner on a facility that makes sense for both over the next 50 years. It might take another decade to get there but the fire will be lit. What would change my vote is if I learned that this was part of a two stage initiative. Phase I is what is to be voted on in December with Phase II being some sort of public private partnership to get another 5000 seats in the dome that would include significantly more club/suites/loge boxes etc. The definite trend in FBS funding is luxury seating as it creates substantial revenue. They are largely sold to corporations and it doesn't affect game day atmosphere if those tickets get used or not.

As it sits right now, it doesn't feel like the fargodome authority has a long term plan and they are using the convention center as a band aid approach. Dumping 140 million dollars into the fargodome that will still be obsolete isn't smart. It also makes zero sense for NDSU to go alone and build an additional stadium on campus next to the Dome as many on here are advocating for. We just don't have the space to do it.

[Bison03]

This is not just an NDSU thing. It is mostly an everything else thing. I get that Bison football is the biggest tenant, but what the dome does benefits NDSU with NDSU having to spend ZERO dollars. What is the alternative? Seriously? Build a brand new 30-40 thousand seat indoor stadium?! That would cost 500 million plus! And how would they be paid for? The same way this would, but for 3 times S long!

[AKBison]

This is not just an NDSU thing. It is mostly an everything else thing. I get that Bison football is the biggest tenant, but what the dome does benefits NDSU with NDSU having to spend ZERO dollars. What is the alternative? Seriously? Build a brand new 30-40 thousand seat indoor stadium?! That would cost 500 million plus! And how would they be paid for? The same way this would, but for 3 times S long!

If the building is on campus, it is definitely an NDSU first thing. I have no idea what the next best move is, but locking ourselves into a facility that is obsolete and will continue to be despite the renovations doesn't seem to make a lot of sense for a university with FBS aspirations.

As you can see from this thread there are plenty of Fargo based NDSU fans/alumni that are planning on voting no and this will never pass without NDSU loyalist voting yes in massive numbers. I think it would be wise for the Fargodome Authority to present a 10 year, 25 year, 50 year plan to the public before the vote. The voters need to know if this a band aid on an ageing facility or if it's part of a overall comprehensive plan to make the Fargodome functional for NDSU, Fargo, and the greater area for the foreseeable future.

[El_Chapo]

I am with unbison at this point. I will be voting no. We aren't going FBS anytime soon anyways. Why do I care that press boxes get their own bathrooms plus the no wifi is BS.

if NDSU won't pursue FBS with 100% force and charge than everything is DEAD just end it, blow up the fargodome too

[Bisonator98]

If the building is on campus, it is definitely an NDSU first thing. I have no idea what the next best move is, but locking ourselves into a facility that is obsolete and will continue to be despite the renovations doesn't seem to make a lot of sense for a university with FBS aspirations.

As you can see from this thread there are plenty of Fargo based NDSU fans/alumni that are planning on voting no and this will never pass without NDSU loyalist voting yes in massive numbers. I think it would be wise for the Fargodome Authority to present a 10 year, 25 year, 50 year plan to the public before the vote. The voters need to know if this a band aid on an ageing facility or if it's part of a overall comprehensive plan to make the Fargodome functional for NDSU, Fargo, and the greater area for the foreseeable future.

Could not agree more. This is a lot of money for a building that will need to be upgraded again or replaced in 20 years. The Metro Dome was replaced after 30 years. The dome is 30 years old already, are they going to keep dumping $140M or more into it every 30 years to keep it relavent? Might as well put that investment into a new facility that's actually able to be renovated for additional seating at some point.

[HerdBot]

This is not just an NDSU thing. It is mostly an everything else thing. I get that Bison football is the biggest tenant, but what the dome does benefits NDSU with NDSU having to spend ZERO dollars. What is the alternative? Seriously? Build a brand new 30-40 thousand seat indoor stadium?! That would cost 500 million plus! And how would they be paid for? The same way this would, but for 3 times S long!

When we pay the bonds off in 8 to 10 years, we can push to continue the tax to build something new. There is part of the revenue.

It's easier to convince people to continue a tax than start a new one

[Hammerhead]

We live in Fargo and about half of our trips to the Fargodome are for Bison football and the rest are for other events that are mostly concerts. I'm torn between hoping there will be a replacement for the Dome in 10-30 years and thinking it will never happen and just try to upgrade what we have. If only we had the foresight to build a 30,000 seat stadium which I think was the original concept back in the 1980s.

As for sales tax -- there was only a 3% state sales tax when I started my first restaurant job in 1985.