City Weighs Plan To Upgrade Bismarck Civic Center

BISMARK, S.D. (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — City commissioners in Bismark are once again weighing upgrades to the Bismarck Civic Center, though with a less hefty price tag than the $90 million proposal rejected by voters in November.

According to The Bismarck Tribune, the new $31 million plan would double the size of the Civic Center stand-alone exhibit hall. The plan also includes upgrades for backstage amenities in the venue's arena. City officials noted that the upgrades would help them compete with nearby Sioux Falls and Rapid City who are also upgrading facilities.

"It is our responsibility as a City Commission to keep the Civic Center as viable as possible. That charge on our part did not end with the vote," Bismark Mayor John Warford told the Tribune. "We will work with what our current funding is in regards to our options and what we can do."

A previous plan to upgrade the facility, which would have raised hospitality taxes, was rejected by voters last year, but city officials noted that this more modest effort did not require voter approval. They also said that the plan would not require tax hikes. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers