Alerus Center

Alerus Center
Alerus Center in 2006
Map
Former namesAurora Events Center
(pre-construction)
Address1200 S. 42nd Street
LocationGrand Forks,
North Dakota, U.S.
Coordinates47°54′40″N 97°05′28″W / 47.911°N 97.091°W / 47.911; -97.091
OwnerCity of Grand Forks
Capacity21,000
Configurations
Field sizeOverall: 447,000 square feet (41,500 m2)
Ballroom: 26,000 square feet (2,400 m2)
Arena floor dimensions:
415 feet (126 m) north to south
240 feet (73 m) east to west
Construction
Broke groundJuly 15, 1998 (1998-07-15)[1]
OpenedFebruary 10, 2001;
23 years ago
 (2001-02-10)
Construction cost$80 million
($150 million in 2023[2])
ArchitectEllerbe Becket
JLG Architects
Schoen & Associates
Structural engineerSimpson Gumpertz
& Heger, Inc.[3]
Services engineerObermiller Nelson
Engineering, Inc.[4]
General contractorMortenson Construction[5]
Tenants
North Dakota Fighting Hawks football (NCAA) (2001–present)

The Alerus Center is an indoor arena and convention center in the north central United States, 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, and also hosts many large concerts, sporting events, and trade shows. The seating capacity for football is 12,283, and up to 21,000 for other events. Located southwest of the UND campus, it is just east of Interstate 29 and south of its exit 140, the junction with state highway 297.

The convention center section of the facility includes a 26,000-square-foot (2,400 m2) ballroom and twelve 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.

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. Its approximate elevation at street level is 835 feet (255 m) above sea level.

  1. ^ "The Aurora Begins". Grand Forks Herald. July 16, 1998.
  2. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  3. ^ "Aurora Events Center". Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Inc. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  4. ^ "Sports Facilities". Obermiller Nelson Engineering, Inc. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  5. ^ "Sports and Event Centers". Mortensen Construction. Archived from the original on April 28, 2010. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  6. ^ "Alerus Center". University of North Dakota. Archived from the original on 2015-01-05. Retrieved December 10, 2014.