City Grill

Russ Hanson 
Executive Vice President
AGC of North Dakota

“There is more optimism for the future this year than we reported in 2020 due to some historic infrastructure investments by the 2021 North Dakota Legislature. It implemented a $680-million bonding package to finish the state’s financial commitment to the Fargo and Minot flood control projects, provided vertical construction funding for a campus project at NDSU and infused resources to the NDDOT and the Revolving Infrastructure Loan Fund,” Hanson says. “Many K-12 schools are planning to utilize federal relief funds for repair and construction at their local schools.” 

He says that a large Amazon building is being constructed in Fargo “and will likely become the biggest building in our state,” adding that “North Dakota remains dependent on a couple of key commodities—energy and agriculture. With oil tax revenue funding many infrastructure areas, the increasing oil ‘bucket’ fills the other investment buckets more quickly. However, the tremendous drought our area is having is of huge concern to the farming and ranching community. And, like virtually every industry, workforce shortage issues remain a concern.”