Alerus Center

After attempts going back to 1984 to fund expansion of the downtown civic center or construction of a new convention center (1992), in 1995 a vote to increase the local sales tax to build a new events center (dubbed The Aurora Events Center, costing $43 to $49 million) passed with 60% approval. Cost overruns required another vote in 1996 on an events center to cost $57 million which passed with 51% approval.

The Flood of 1997 delayed the project and led to redesigns to make the facility less susceptible to future flooding. Compass Management was hired to manage facility and in 2000 Aurora was renamed Alerus Center after Alerus Financial bought naming rights for twenty years. Alerus Center opened on February 10, 2001 with a final cost of $80 million. In 2006 construction started on Canad Inns hotel tower and water park, and was completed in 2007.

In 2007, the city ended its management contract with Compass Management but the same year rehired Compass Management, now renamed VenuWorks, with the provision they won't be paid if they lose taxpayer money. In 2009 Alerus Commission announced they lost $720,000 in the events fund due to Alerus operations. No accounting of that loss is made available to the public.

In July 2017, Spectra came in to take over the management contract for the Alerus Center.{{Cite news|url=http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/government-and-politics/4426683-after-deficit-year-alerus-center-poised-make-profit|title=After deficit year, Alerus Center poised to make a profit|access-date=2018-08-03|language=en}}

The Alerus Center has a football capacity of 12,283. The Alerus Center record attendance for North Dakota Fighting Hawks football is 13,500 vs. North Dakota State University on October 6th, 2001. The second-highest attendance was 13,091 on October 14, 2023. As of September 2024, the Fighting Hawks hold a 110-30 record inside the Alerus Center.

Other events have also been held at Alerus Center including WWE Smackdown, Toughest Monster Truck Tour, and the 2008 North Dakota Democratic-NPL Convention featuring presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton speaking.{{cite news |title=Democratic Presidential Hopefuls Bring Close Contest to N.D.|first=Chuck|last=Haga|url=http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=72748|newspaper=Grand Forks Herald|date=April 5, 2008|access-date=April 5, 2008}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}

Grand Forks is unique because it is a relatively small market with two major event centers, Alerus Center and the Ralph Engelstad Arena, both of which often bid to host the same events. To a lesser extent, the Chester Fritz Auditorium in Grand Forks also sometimes competes for these same events as well. Regionally, the Fargodome in nearby Fargo and the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba are seen as competitors to Alerus Center.

Located directly north of Alerus Center sits the Canad Inns Destination Center, completed in 2007.{{cite web|title=Canad Inns Destination Center Grand Forks |url=http://www.canadinns.com/stay/stay-main.php?entry_id=8574 |publisher=Canad Inns |access-date=January 15, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116110147/http://www.canadinns.com/stay/stay-main.php?entry_id=8574 |archive-date=January 16, 2014 }} This $50 million complex, also designed by JLG Architects, is anchored by a 201-room, 13-story hotel tower which, at {{convert|126|ft|m}}, is the tallest building in Grand Forks and the tallest building constructed in North Dakota since the mid-1980s.{{cite web |title=Canad Inns Destination Center|url=http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=canadinnsentertainmentcomplex-grandforks-nd-usa|publisher=Emporis|access-date=April 5, 2008|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929141106/http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=canadinnsentertainmentcomplex-grandforks-nd-usa|archive-date=September 29, 2007}} The Destination Center also includes the largest waterpark in the state, three restaurants, a "boutique" casino, and an arcade. This was the first facility in the United States for the Canadian hotel chain.{{Cite web|url=http://jlgarchitects.com/work/housing/canad-inns-destination-center|title = JLG Architects -}}

• List of NCAA Division I FCS football stadiums

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• [https://www.aleruscenter.com/ Official website]
• [https://fightinghawks.com/ University of North Dakota Athletics website]

{{North Dakota Fighting Hawks football navbox}}

{{University of North Dakota}}

{{Missouri Valley Football Conference venue navbox}}

{{North Dakota college football venues}}

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Category:College football venues in North Dakota

Category:Covered stadiums in the United States

Category:Buildings and structures in Grand Forks, North Dakota

Category:Tourist attractions in Grand Forks, North Dakota

Category:Convention centers in North Dakota

Category:North Dakota Fighting Hawks football

Category:Indoor arenas in North Dakota

Category:2001 establishments in North Dakota

Category:Sports venues completed in 2001