The Fargo City Commission on Monday voted to continue the downtown engagement center's daytime operations for 2026 and authorized staff to begin public outreach and site feasibility work for possible relocation, approving the motion on a 4–1 roll‑call vote.

Brenda Darian, a city staff member presenting the item, said the center's current facility is about 17,000 square feet spread across three floors and that the layout hampers efficient service delivery. She listed three potential sites under initial consideration — 610 North University Drive, 720 14th Street, and 2001 First Avenue North — and said staff’s cursory analysis showed any of the three would likely perform better than the current building. Darian said the city would commit to continuing staff operations but that building and renovation costs were expected to come from private sources if a move proceeds.

The vote approved a motion by Commissioner Strand authorizing staff to continue engagement services in 2026 and to begin outreach and project development work on potential relocation sites, with staff to report back on Sept. 29. Darian said an open house will be held Tuesday, Sept. 23, and the commission requested public input as staff pursues lease or purchase options.

Why it matters: the downtown engagement center, sometimes called the “deck,” is the primary daytime service hub where outreach providers, health partners and other agencies connect with people experiencing homelessness. Supporters told the commission that keeping an organized daytime hub speeds exits from homelessness and reduces emergency costs; some business owners and nearby residents said the center's current location imposes public‑safety and sanitation burdens in adjacent retail and residential areas.

Supporters of the center described direct client outcomes. Chandler Eslinger, executive director of the Fargo‑Moorhead Coalition to End Homelessness, said, “The deck primarily serves people who cannot access other services. It provides a clear entry point for assistance and real pathways to permanent housing.” Mental‑health and outreach providers described recent cases in which the center helped move clients into housing and reestablished medical care.

Business owners and some residents urged relocation to sites outside the downtown Broadway core. Sarah Lilljestrand, co‑owner of Holland’s Home & Garden, told the commission the preferred relocation site would be “20 Fifth and First Avenue North by the Fargo Police Department,” citing proximity to emergency services and limited nearby residences or schools. Other speakers urged the commission not to displace people who rely on the center and asked for guarantees that services now provided — showers, storage, daytime warming and outreach — would remain available during and after any move.

Commissioners described a narrow path to balance service continuity and neighborhood impacts. Several said the current building is not fit for purpose and that private funding or partner donations could help pay renovation costs at a new location. The commission directed staff to proceed with outreach, review lease/purchase options, and return with a recommendation.

What happens next: staff will hold a public open house Sept. 23, continue outreach to stakeholders and property owners, and return to the commission with site‑feasibility and finance information on Sept. 29. The motion approved authorizes staff to pursue next steps but does not commit the city to purchase any property or close the existing center.

Ending: the commission's action keeps daytime engagement services operating while launching a formal community input and site‑evaluation process; any relocation or renovation will require subsequent administrative approvals and, likely, a financing plan.