Here's an article about the new life being brought in to the Main Avenue area in downtown Moorhead in that new redevelopment:
Main Street area sees new life
By Craig McEwen, The Forum
Published Monday, February 27, 2006
Life is returning to the former Kirby’s Bar in Moorhead.
Lease signs adorn the 108-year-old Kassenborg building, with three tenants – including Juano’s Restaurant – preparing to move this spring into four spaces on the building’s first floor, said Greg Anderson of HIGHMARK Realty, who is in charge of leasing out the property.
Sterling Companies of Fargo began the $17 million renovation of the corner that rocked – as Kirby’s was known –in April 2005.
Woodlawn Terrace, another Sterling project next door to the south of Kirby’s, has one first-floor retail space left to occupy and half of the 22 second-floor apartments have been rented, said Sterling co-owner Kevin Bartram.
The renovated building is already home to Moxie Java, American Omni Crop Insurance, Edward Jones Investments, Title Resource Network and Woodlawn Dental.
A two-story, 145-space parking ramp is also part of the project.
Juano’s Restaurant is the first to publicly announce that it will open shop in the former Kirby’s landmark.
“We’re going to open a burrito shop similar to the ones on 19th and 32nd Avenue in Fargo,” said Juan Mondragon, owner of Juano’s.
The Moorhead location will be his fourth in Fargo-Moorhead since opening Juano’s Restaurant in downtown Fargo in 1996.
Mondragon branched out in October 2004 by opening a quick-serve grill in the University Town Center strip mall, 1100 19th Ave. N. in Fargo. In December 2005, he opened a similar eatery at 1630 32nd Ave. S. in Fargo.
The quick-service concept has been well-received, Mondragon said. “Being near the two colleges (Concordia and Minnesota State University Moorhead) should work.”
A second tenant has leased space in the building. Details can’t be released yet, Bartram said.
The first two businesses should be operating by April 1, he said.
A third space will contain a “fairly casual” bar and grill capable of serving 90 to 100 customers, he said.
“We have a preliminary design,” Bartram said. The yet-to-be-named bar and grill will serve lunches and evening meals and could possibly be open by June 1, he said.
The only remaining retail space available is in the building’s northwest corner next to Juano’s, he said.
The building’s second floor is being marketed as office space, none of which has been leased due to construction activity on the main floor, Bartram said.
The building will retain some of Kirby’s ambiance.
“It will be non-traditional office space featuring exposed brick and exposed structure,” he said.