The Cardon Development Group is building a new mixed-use development in Bismarck, N.D., dubbed FiveSouth. Included in the project is a Sheraton Hotel, which will be located near the Bismarck Event Center and Kirkwood Mall, and a walking bridge will be built connecting the hotel and event center.
The 140-room hotel will be managed by Hegg Cos., and will include the Crave American Kitchen & Sushi Bar.
“Trying to secure a four-star hotel in Bismarck with 60,000 people is very difficult,” Don Cardon, CEO of Cardon Development Group, said in a statement. The ailing oil industry is also contributing to development difficulties in the region. However, Cardon is adamant about finishing the project, claiming the contracts for the deal are done. “We’re not going anywhere,” he said. “FiveSouth will be built.”
In 2015, city commissioners in Bismarck approved a tax increment finance district to fund $35 million in public infrastructure developments. Private investments in the mixed-use development are expected to include apartments and commercial space totaling $350 million.
However, the FiveSouth project could take an estimated three years to complete. The project is being designed to attract young travelers to the city.
“We looked at other communities within our region and within our state, what they were doing to attract talent,” said Bruce Whittey, chairman of the Bismarck Futures group. “And it became quite obvious, of course, that a lot of these communities were investing in their urban centers and urban culture because that’s where young people like to live.”