EagleRidge Plaza completes first two multi

FARGO — Talk about a baptism by fire.

It was 2017 and Ian Bullis was a week out of graduating from North Dakota State University's construction management program when he was handed the plans for his first real-world assignment: Oversee construction of the first office building for EagleRidge Plaza, a master-planned development of multi-use buildings along Veterans Boulevard and south of 32nd Avenue South.

It may have helped a little that Ian’s dad, Jim, is president of EagleRidge Development, the group behind the project.

Even so, EagleRidge Plaza was a huge, complex undertaking — a $200 million project which spans 17 acres and required multiple phases.

Five years, one pandemic and four five-story buildings later, Ian seems to have passed his real-world final. EagleRidge recently celebrated its progress with a grand opening ceremony on its 1.5-acre plaza. The event was marked by a ribbon-cutting, food trucks, building tours and live music.

And Ian and Abbey Heilig, EagleRidge marketing director, both say these types of outdoor events will become commonplace in the town square-style setting of the plaza, with its stage, Astro-Turf-covered “green space,” public art and outdoor seating. They envision anything from acoustic music shows to farmers’ markets being held there.

“There’s nothing quite like this in Fargo, other than when you get into downtown. We’re kind of bringing that downtown vibe,” Heilig says.

In a 2021 article on the project, Jon Youness, EagleRidge’s director of development, attributed much of Veterans and 32nd Avenue’s dynamic growth to Sanford Health’s decision to build its main hospital nearby.

“We look at Veterans as kind of the heart of the growth of the city of Fargo (and West Fargo) right now,” he said back then.

While recently offering a tour of EagleRidge’s new buildings, Ian echoed that sentiment. “This is obviously the new, vibrant part of the FM area — the southwest part of Fargo, and when we identified and acquired the land for this piece of property, we knew that being on the Veterans and 32nd Ave corridor, which is a high-traffic area, would be a great location for what we wanted to do,” he said.

As it stands, the plaza’s four finished structures include two all-commercial buildings of Class A office space (one which also houses the offices for EagleRidge Development ), as well as two multi-use buildings — each offering main-floor commercial space, 94 apartments and underground or covered main-floor parking for all tenants.

In Building 5601, the first mixed-use structure to be completed, three-fourths of the 12,000 square feet of commercial space have been leased, Ian says. The commercial portion of the second multi-use building also has been filling up, thanks largely to Inspire Health & Wellness Spa occupying an 8,000-square-foot space on the main floor.

Yet there’s still much to do. Buildings in various states of construction are springing up along the east side of the two completed multi-use buildings. The fifth building is slated for completion on Dec. 1 and the sixth on May 1, 2024, Ian says.

EagleRidge hopes to eventually erect nine buildings in the development, although that number isn't set in stone, Ian says.

It’s the most ambitious project to date for the development company, which started back in 2009 when Jim Bullis, an attorney, and Jeff Laliberte, president/COO of Hebron Brick, took over a multi-family development in distress as a way to help out a friend. They had planned to stay in business only a year or two as they saw the development to completion. Instead, their small company kept growing.

Today, EagleRidge Development has over 2,000 single family home sites, 2,300 multifamily units, over 40 acres of commercial land, and over 200,000 square feet of commercial space, according to the company's website.

At EagleRidge, Ian says interest has been high in the apartments, which range from 562-square-foot studios to 1,455-square-foot, three-bedroom living spaces. Rents run from $1,095 to $2,095 per month and include utilities and internet.

Plenty of young people are drawn to the community feel of the apartments, although Ian says families and retirees also like the convenience.

“They want the amenities but to take care of the lawn, the snow — they don’t want any of that,” he says.

Apartments feature higher-end fixtures like quartz countertops, luxury vinyl plank flooring, stainless steel appliances, in-unit washers and dryers, pantries, high ceilings, central air and underground or covered main-floor parking.

In response to remote work trends, Ian says they’ve added media zones, which include a desk, storage and USB ports.

Once work is done, residents might head to the first-floor fitness center, a 5,500-square-foot space outfitted with weight machines, free weights, cardio equipment, a rock-climbing wall, steam showers and a steam room.

In the second mixed-use building, they’ve installed a golf simulator on the first floor.

The facility also partners with Next Level Fitness, which offers free personal training virtually and provides in-person sessions every three weeks.

With more Americans becoming pet owners each year, EagleRidge also welcomes pets — to a point. Dogs must be under 30 pounds and certain breeds are restricted. Pet owners also pay slightly more per month.

Dog- and cat-lovers have access to a centralized “pet wash,” complete with deep, stainless-steel sink, specialized hair dryer and charming art of pampered pups on the wall.

In efforts to encourage a community-centric vibe throughout, EagleRidge builders have included numerous spaces where residents can mingle and entertain.

Amenities like a rooftop terrace, “club rooms” in each mixed-use building and patio areas with outdoor kitchens abound.

The posh club room in the flagship mixed-use building has a distinct “Fargo” imprint, with a ceiling finished with Dakota Timber barnwood , walls of Hebron Brick and a hand-painted wall mural by Upper Hand Signs.

A concrete-paneled gas fireplace divides the room while friendly groupings of tables and chairs are arranged throughout.

This community space includes a full kitchen, complete with a coffee maker where residents can grab free java. “A lot of people pop down on their way to work and get their free coffee,” Heilig says.

Residents can reserve the room for gatherings, but the space is open to all tenants when not in use.

A shuffleboard game and foosball table are located next to a wall of windows overlooking the 8,000-square-foot patio area.

Partially shaded by a pergola, this luxe-looking space features large gas grills, lounging areas and games like Ping-Pong and cornhole. “They get a ton of use,” Ian says. “We want to keep tenants happy so they stay here.”

Learn more about EagleRidge at https://www.eagleridgeplazaresidences.com/