City of Minot release
The City of Minot has been selected as the recipient of a 2023 Main Street Award
from Gov. Doug Burgum’s office.
Minot was named a winner in the Smart, Efficient Infrastructure Award category for
the Minot Façade Improvement Program, which operates as a forgivable loan
program that respects the historic nature of downtown buildings while updating
their functionality and energy efficiency.
“The first wave of completed façade projects experienced an average property value
increase of 43 percent,” said Brian Billingsley, Community and Economic
Development Director for the City of Minot. “The remodeled buildings display a
fresh appearance without compromising the historical integrity of our downtown.”
Since it launched in July 2021, the program has assisted six downtown Minot
businesses in revitalizing their building and investing in their future; five more
projects are under construction.
Margie Bolton, owner of Margie’s Art Glass Studio, was the first business owner to
utilize the façade program.
“The program has helped my business improve,” Bolton said. “The response from
my customers has been really good, and they have embraced the changes we’ve
made with the help of the façade program. It’s been very beneficial to us.”
The Smart, Efficient Infrastructure Award recognizes a community that has made
sound planning decisions by investing in existing spaces or has effectively engaged
the community in developing plans to do so. Projects should infuse existing
infrastructure with new and innovate ideas to ensure efficient use of public
resources.
