Alerus Center

The Alerus Center, Grand Forks' premiere entertainment and convention facility, is the culmination of many years of hard work by the leaders and visionaries in the area. Although most public facilities of this type face an uphill battle in getting funding approval, the Alerus Center also overcame a second public vote of confidence, a historic 210 year flood, a redesign, and a roof collapse before becoming the jewel of the Grand Forks crown in February of 2001. To better appreciate the enormous task of bringing the facility from a vision to reality, here is a short project history, which actually begins many years ago.

The Alerus Center is an indoor arena and convention center located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The facility is owned and operated by the city of Grand Forks and opened on February 10, 2001. The arena's major tenant is the University of North Dakota football team. The arena also plays host to many large concerts, sporting events, and trade shows. It can seat more than 21,000 people at one time. The convention center section of the facility includes a 26,000-square-foot (2,400 m2) ballroom and 12 meeting rooms. The convention center is used for conferences, seminars, banquets, parties, and smaller concerts. Directly adjacent to the Alerus Center is a large hotel and waterpark complex called the Canad Inns Destination Center.

The Alerus Center is named after a local financial institution, Alerus Financial, which purchased the building's naming rights. Prior to opening, the facility had been referred to as the Aurora Events Center.

Explore Related Categories