The Ames Regional Economic Alliance hosted the 2024 Inter-City Visit from September 11-13, where city and community leaders from Boone, Hamilton, and Story County toured Fargo, North Dakota, and met with their community leaders.
“The goal of the 2024 Inter-City Visit is straightforward,” said Dan Culhane, President & CEO of the Ames Regional Economic Alliance. “To learn from leaders in Fargo / Moorhead about what has been successful in their community and determine new opportunities in our market.” The Greater Fargo Moorhead region was chosen, in part, because of its comparable size to our region and the fact that it is home to North Dakota State University (NDSU), a public land-grant research university.
On the opening day of the trip, the delegation toured the Fargo Jet Center, a 340,000 square foot facility and recognized leader in aviation services. Fargo Jet Center specializes in aircraft modifications and is home to four United States Air Force drones. From there, a driving tour of the region highlighted the entrepreneurial ecosystem and notable companies that continue to drive economic activity in their region, including American Crystal Sugar, Microsoft, and Bobcat’s North American headquarters. Along the way, the delegation visited the Bluestem Amphitheater, a 3,000-capacity venue that draws national acts from May to October.
From there, the delegation had a chance to tour the Fargo Parks Sports Center, a new 390,000 square foot amenity to the region that recently opened. Phase I of the project includes a turf field, hardwood courts, an indoor walking track, and more. It is open to the public and a great $126 million example of the benefits of public and private partnerships.
The next day, Brewhalla, a food, entertainment, and hotel hub by Drekker Brewing, hosted presentations on topics that included workforce recruitment, entrepreneurial ecosystem, regionalism, downtown development, and placemaking.
Before leaving, NDSU President David Cook and members of his leadership talked about town and gown relationships, research, and some of their marketing initiatives. President Cook is an Ames native and graduate of Ames High and continues to have strong ties and an understanding of the Ames region. A driving tour of campus concluded the visit.
This was the seventh Inter-City visit that the Ames Regional Economic Alliance has hosted. Previously visited communities include Manhattan, Kansas; Columbia, Missouri; Bloomington, Indiana; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Iowa communities of Marion, Cedar Falls, and Dubuque. Last year’s delegation visited the Lafayette / West Lafayette, Indiana region, home of Purdue University.
Thank you to the many individuals who helped plan the trip and agenda, specifically the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation. An additional thank you to our community partners and amazing delegation across three counties that traveled this year.
