FARGO — After a year of construction, the 18-story Block 9 building in downtown Fargo reached its full height of 235 feet when the roof was poured Thursday, Nov. 14.
The structure that is changing the city's skyline is now the second-tallest building in the state behind the state Capitol.
A flag has been hung on the top floor signifying the topping out of the $117 million mixed-use tower on land that for 43 years was a surface parking lot.
So far more than 300,000 hours of trades and craft work have been spent on the tower since work started on Sept. 18, 2018. The building is expected to be completed in the fall of 2020.
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Project manager Keith Leier of the Kilbourne Group said about 190 workers continues to enclose the building with windows, as well as install mechanical infrastructure and the six elevators. Interior and some pre-cast beam exterior work continues.
"The interior work is chasing its way up the floors," Leier said. "We're really excited."
Windows can be seen installed on some of the lower floors, and Leier said they hope to have the building fully enclosed by January.
Additionally, Leier said work continues with the Aparium Hotel Group on its first-floor lobby along with a restaurant and lounge and 125 guest rooms from the ninth to the 14th floor.
The first floor will also house two or three retail stores and the lobby for the corporate office space for the R.D. Offutt Co., the family owned and operated agriculture, equipment and food production company that is part-owner of the building. The company will consolidate 300 of its employees from various locations in the metro starting on the second floor of Block 9.
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The structure also includes six luxury condos on the top floors.
Contractor McGough Construction Co. is a family owned business with headquarters in St. Paul and branch offices in Fargo and numerous other locations in Minnesota and the central United States.
