MINOT, N.D. (KXNET) — NDSU students got hands-on experience while making an impact throughout the state and contributing to the institutional land-grant mission.

According to a news release from the university, on Sunday, 16 fourth-year architecture students were able to join a guided walking tour of downtown Minot led by the Minot Area Chamber EDC.

“Not every architecture student gets a chance like this, to work on a project that directly impacts people,” said NDSU student Sofia Naranjo Mata in the release. “This is an amazing opportunity for us to put our years of education together and create something special for the Minot community.”

The final result is going to be an urban design project that includes the presentation of a newly conceptualized downtown Minot, complete with detailed artist renderings.

NDSU Adjunct Professor of Architecture, Kristi Hanson, will be leading the students through the process.

“The land-grant mission of NDSU is to go out and serve communities around our state,” Hanson continued. “Downtown Minot is the perfect place to achieve that mission. We’re going to knit what we heard from this community into a narrative — and ultimately, a creative process will come out of this to answer the question,’ Who does Minot want to be?’ “

The project was started by the CEO of Creedence Energy and Minot Area Chamber EDC board chair, Kevin Black, after he saw the Vision for Medora project created by Hanson’s students in 2021. This year’s students met with several stakeholders to get information on Monday, and have also joined Hanson in community meetings with the EDC .

“We are so grateful to Kristi and her students for dedicating their time and talent to the Magic City,” Black said. “We all want Minot to be a place that our children and grandchildren are proud to call home. The vision this class creates will help us tell the story of the magic of Minot for decades to come.”

The President and CEO of the Minot Area Chamber EDC, Brekka Kramer, says that the project aligns with Minot Area Chamber EDC’s mission to advocate for and invest in business activity by being a partner in the community. She also states that the project also fits in perfectly with Governor Doug Burgum’s ongoing Main Street Initiative.

“This collaboration fits a broader statewide initiative that envisions healthy, vibrant cities and gives community leaders the tools they need to capitalize on their community’s strengths,” said Kramer.

Tom Ross, Minot’s mayor, also shared his excitement for this project.

“This is no ordinary class project,” Ross concluded. “The vision of Kristi and her students is going to further the growth and optimism already found in downtown Minot. Their work will have an impact on the city of Minot for years to come, and that excites us.”

The project is going to wrap up at the end of the semester with a final presentation, to be scheduled in May.