For over 35 years, JLG Architects has been a cornerstone in helping (quite literally) shape North Dakota’s communities. From the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library to various educational centers, JLG’s portfolio is nothing short of impressive—now, they’re adding another groundbreaking project to the Fargo community: the Fargo Parks Sports Center.
The Center, which opened in June of 2024, marks the completion of the first phase, totaling approximately 290,000 square feet. When phase II is completed in early 2025, the facility will boast nearly 400,000 total square feet, offering a multi-purpose community recreation facility that accommodates indoor sports, activities, tournaments, and special events.
Fargo Park District’s vision for the Center was to have a facility that offered year-round wellness, centralized with a sense of community. Along with McGough Construction, JLG brought this vision to life, creating indoor space for turf, courts, ice, Fargo Park District central offices, building administration, walking track, Sanford Power Center, and multipurpose community space—all located along a central concourse for exposure to natural daylight and high visibility into a variety of athletic spaces.
Amenity Highlights
- Full Size Indoor Multi-Use
- Turf Field + Elevated Indoor Track
- Hardwood Courts
- Sheet Ice Facility
- Pickleball Courts
- Large Community Rooms
- Small Community Rooms
- Indoor Playground and Party Rooms
- Concession Areas
- Sanford Sports Performance
- Fargo Park District Offices
Meet the Five Key Individuals Responsible for Bringing the Fargo Parks Sports Center to Life
Phil Siek
Senior Director of Planning and Construction, Sanford Health
“The Fargo Parks Sports Center focuses on bringing our entire community together to share experiences while focusing on health, wellness, and human connection. It also will be a beacon for youth sports and events that will attract people from all over the region to visit the Fargo Metro. I am most excited about all the opportunities and activities that this facility will allow the members of our community, especially the youth, to enjoy, in an inclusive space where all are welcome!”
Craig Bjur
Executive Director, Fargo Park District Foundation
“This facility directly addresses a critical need we identified in our needs assessment study in our community and region for more indoor recreation space. That study clearly showed the growing need for amenities including an indoor walking track, soccer field, hardwood courts, ice, and community rooms. With the help of our community partners, this state-of-the-art facility that will serve our region for generations to come. I am very excited to have a true community facility of this magnitude in Fargo that provides accessibility to sports, community events, arts programs and so much more. It’s unique to have an indoor facility with turf, courts, and ice all under one roof. This truly is a national-level facility that our community will enjoy and provides opportunities for our youth, families, and seniors.”
Oliver Finneman
Director of Preconstruction, McGough Construction
“The Fargo Parks Sports Center will build upon the incredible amenities Fargo has to offer for its residents. The Sports Center will enhance the recreational options for area residents and visitors, create new economic opportunities, and improve the quality-of-life offerings to prospective residents considering moving to the area. I am excited to see family and friends use the facility and make lifelong memories there.”
Susan Faus
Executive Director, Fargo Park District
“The Fargo Parks Sports Center provides a space to bring community together. The sports center will serve more than 20,000 children, provide gathering space for more than 20 local community organizations, and attract more than one million local and regional visitors annually. I am most excited that the Fargo Park District, along with the community’s support, was able to build a facility that will provide yearlong recreational activities for the community to enjoy.”
Todd Medd
Principal Architect and Healthcare Studio Leader, JLG Architects
“This building will act as not only a place to gather as a community but also attract visitors from all over the region to participate in tournaments and clinics and partake in all the Center has to offer. At JLG, we are committed to our communities, with the goal of using design to elevate our lived experience through buildings that serve people, engage and energize communities, welcome wellness, and conserve resources. To be able to help lead an effort that created a building and spaces that truly align with that goal has been a blessing. I am most excited about putting the community on par with any city in the country with the scale and quality of indoor athletic and wellness spaces, where not only the metro area gathers but a place to welcome visitors from around the region and country.”
Business Partnerships & Collaboration
At its core, the Fargo Parks Sports Center is an example of the Fargo community coming together through a collaborative effort. Starting in 2018, McGough Construction worked closely with Fargo Parks, JLG, and Sanford to provide estimating and constructability expertise while the project was being designed. During construction, those same partners were an integral part of the project team along with over 40 local and regional trade partners. All of the project partners contributed to the successful (on time and under budget) completion of Phase I.
“The sports center is a true testament to the power of collaboration and shared efforts—the space will be a constant reminder that we can go farther together,” Susan Faus said. “The partnership with Sanford was crucial to bringing this vision to life.”
“The facility we were able to deliver would not have been possible without the incredible generosity of our community and over 30 businesses and families partnering with our foundation,” Craig Bjur said. To date, the project has secured over $45 million in value, with over $36 million in donations and $9 million in kind gifts and services. Sanford’s partnership with Fargo Parks District, along with the creative power of JLG Architects, was very critical to the success of the Sports Center project.
The Fargo Parks Sports Center is located on 123 acres, west of I-29 and between 52nd Avenue South and 64th Avenue South Fargo. Stop in and experience the facility, including free access to the indoor track.
