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Minot Daily News: Ribbon cut for Blu on Broadway

October 18, 2021

Company celebrates opening with community

Jill Schramm/MDN A ribbon-cutting outside Blu on Broadway takes place Friday in conjunction with the building’s grand opening.

Representatives of EPIC Companies cut the ribbon Friday on Blu on Broadway, a master-planned, mixed-use development that opened Oct. 1 on South Broadway.

The Minot Area Chamber of Commerce EDC Ambassadors joined EPIC Companies and the owners of its first commercial tenant, X-Golf, at back-to-back ribbon cuttings at their grand opening events. X-Golf features six golf simulator bays and a full-service bar and small kitchen that serves foods such as pizza, chicken sandwiches and giant pretzels.

Visitors at the grand opening had opportunity to tour two of Blu on Broadway’s 42 units of affordable housing, which range in rents from $600 for studios to $925 for two-bedroom apartments. A unique feature of the residential construction is the two-story design of the two-bedroom apartments.

“We were able to fill up all the units before we opened,” said McKenzy Braaten, Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for EPIC. “We were also very fortunate to be able to get the first X-Golf franchise in North Dakota on the first floor of this building. They took just over 4,000 square feet.”

A nutrition shop is leasing about 1,000 square feet on the ground level, and EPIC is in talks with other potential tenants. The five-story building has underground parking, including 24 spaces available for residential tenants, and an outdoor plaza behind the Broadway-facing structure.

A one-bedroom apartment in Blu on Broadway is ready for its tenant, who will be moving in soon.

A one-bedroom apartment in Blu on Broadway is ready for its tenant, who will be moving in soon.

Construction started in the spring of 2020. The affordable housing received grant assistance through the multi-family housing initiative of the City of Minot’s National Disaster Resilience Program, supported by federal funds through the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“This project has been a community effort, a team effort. It’s taken multiple people to make this work, but one thing we can say is we’re very proud of this project,” Braaten said.

Blake Nybakken, Vice President of Development for EPIC, called it a journey over the past two and half years to get to the grand opening.

He singled out the Gokey family, who previously owned the property on which Northern Bottling stood, and First Western Bank & Trust for their support in achieving the vision for Blu on Broadway.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND, provided congratulatory remarks in a letter, and Minot Mayor Shaun Sipma extended his thanks to the people behind the project.

Maddox Sneed takes a practice swing on one of six simulator bays at X-Golf’s grand opening Friday. Golfers hit into a soft screen depicting one of more than 50 well-known golf courses.

Maddox Sneed takes a practice swing on one of six simulator bays at X-Golf’s grand opening Friday. Golfers hit into a soft screen depicting one of more than 50 well-known golf courses.

“Take a look around, seriously, at all of the community partners that are here today to celebrate this event. That tells you just how committed this community really is to bringing projects like this to fruition,” Sipma said. “We couldn’t ask for a more beautiful centerpiece now, right at the forefront of Broadway here, as kind of a showcase piece, one of many more that we hope and expect to see.”

EPIC officials indicated more major projects are coming, including The Tracks in southwest Minot, a proposed mixed-use space to include a community plaza for activities. EPIC, which has projects across the state, is based in West Fargo and has an office in Minot.

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