GRAND FORKS — The Alerus Center unveiled its renovated hospitality suites with partners, supporters and friends Thursday afternoon. One of the project’s key leaders, Derek Hoffert, missed the excitement.
Hoffert, deputy general manager of the Alerus Center, who led the renovation, was unable to attend the ceremonial opening of the major modernization works on Thursday, August 8. However, his work was recognized in a speech by the center’s general manager.
“It was really Derek’s and my dream years ago when these big concerts were sold out and we wanted to create additional space for suites because we had a waiting list,” GM Anna Rosburg told those in attendance.
On the suite floor of the Alerus Center, countertops were changed from composite to quartz and high-backed leather seating was installed. The worn carpet that welcomed visitors was replaced with a hard tile floor.
The original decor, which was over 20 years old, was replaced.
“The new suites are a project we have been working on for some time, now for a little over a year,” Hoffert said earlier this week.
There are currently twenty suites available for rent at the Alerus, but a handful of them will continue to be used by UND football coaches, opposing coaches and others involved in game day activities at the facility at the highest level when the Fighting Hawks are at home.
For the remaining 350+ days, the Alerus can now rent the five new suites on the upper floors above the 14 original suites on the property. A total of 20 suites will be rented, including one mini-suite.
“They’ve been up and running for some time, though. We were able to get them fully reopened, essentially, before last football season,” Hoffert said. “But there were still little things here and there.”
The Alerus Center unveiled the project Thursday to an audience that included UND athletic director Bill Chaves.
Other than the upgrades, nothing will change for UND football games. The rest of the year, tenants and their friends will attend concerts, events and even graduation parties.
“Starting with Metallica in 2018, we had such a demand for premium space for that concert that we got creative. We got the proper permits from the fire marshal to be able to put people up there for a concert. It’s been used as rental space ever since,” Hoffert said of the building’s top floor, which was used only by football personnel on game days.
“Now we’ve made it permanent. Instead of putting people into a more or less functional renovation, we’ve renovated it to make it look like it does downstairs and actually feel first class.”
Diversified Contractors was the general contractor and EAPC Architects Engineers designed the project.
Tenants of the five newest suites will only be evicted on UND game days.
“During a football game, those private entities up there don’t get tickets,” Hoffert said. “They move to one of our concourse bridge decks, another premium seating area we’ve added in recent years.”
“We converted those coaches’ boxes into suites that we can use year-round, instead of having them sit dark and empty the other 360 days of the year when we’re not playing UND football.”
Suites at Alerus range in price from $8,000 to $20,000 per year. The rent includes a number of tickets to all public events held at the resort. Food and beverages are extra.
Selling the suite rentals was relatively easy.
“They have been sold out since 2020,” Hoffert said.
He wishes the center could sell more.
“We could use more space,” Hoffert said. “Unfortunately, the investment in creating these additional rooms would not pay off with our footprint.”
Kevin Fee is a freelance reporter for the Herald.
