Hoeven Working to Develop Multi-Purpose Recreation Site Benefiting Minot Region, Improve Safety & Efficiency at Adjacent Intersection

MINOT, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today outlined his efforts to advance a multi-purpose recreation site in southwest Minot benefitting a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities. Hoeven has been working to rehabilitate the site of Minot’s former landfill, a 26-acre area that was previously listed as a Superfund site. The project will: Include an 18-hole disc golf course, mountain biking trails and cross-country running trails. Provide space for the proposed expansion of the Maysa Arena, which includes adding a fourth ice rink and a field house. The senator began working on the effort in 2018, after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined the property could be redeveloped and the city began developing a plan to use the land for recreation. Hoeven has since worked with the EPA and the Minot Park Board to move the project through the approval process, which has required: Developing a site plan and conducting environmental reviews. Modifying the Consent Decree issued by the U.S. District Court for North Dakota to allow redevelopment of the property. The EPA and Minot entered into a settlement in 1996 that prevents any development on the site of the former landfill. After negotiations between Hoeven’s office, the city and the EPA, the agency filed a modification with the court in April. Holding a public comment period. EPA’s public comment period ends June 1. Hoeven is working to ensure the agency respond to comments quickly and promptly files a motion to approve the redevelopment plan with the court. The senator recently secured a commitment from EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to move this process forward as quickly as possible. Should the EPA receive few comments, the EPA’s request for final approval could be filed with the court within 30-60 days. The EPA has committed to complete the process by September 30, supporting the city’s goal to begin construction this year. This effort is further bolstered by Hoeven’s work to address safety concerns at the intersection of Highway 2/52 and the Burdick Expressway, which is adjacent to the Maysa Arena and proposed recreational site. This comes as part of the Minot’s Accessible, Growth-driving Intermodal Connector (MAGIC) project, a larger effort to build a bypass south of the city connecting Highways 2/52 and US 83. Hoeven previously secured $4 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program to support planning, design and construction of the bypass. Between Minot’s population growth and increased energy, agricultural and commercial freight transportation demands, this area has been impacted by worsening congestion issues for decades. Ward County plans to have the engineering and environmental work completed in June 2028, with construction to follow. By connecting US 2/52 to US 83 outside of the city, the bypass project will: Alleviate congestion while providing additional transportation capacity to support future growth, including in Minot’s downtown. Improve access for emergency responders, who currently are forced to use alternative routes due to congestion, and support access to Trinity Hospital, the region’s only Level II Trauma Center. Enhance safety on three of the most hazardous roadways and intersections in the state. Support greater access to the Minot Air Force Base and its nearby facilities as they undergo major nuclear modernization projects in the coming years. “Between the redevelopment of Minot’s former landfill and the proposed expansion of the Maysa Arena, we are working to make a major, multi-purpose upgrade to the recreational facilities available in the Minot region – from outdoor activities like disc golf, running and biking to greater indoor space with an additional ice rink for hockey and a field house. We’ve been at this since 2018, working with the EPA and the City of Minot to develop a plan, move through the required approvals and make the needed modifications to the court settlement that prevents any development on the site. Now, we are nearly at the finish line, with the public comment period set to end next week,” said Hoeven. “At the same time, this project will benefit from our work to improve safety at the nearby intersection of Highway 2/52 and the Burdick Expressway as part of the broader MAGIC project. This bypass project will be an investment in the region’s economic and population growth, while providing needed transportation capacity as we undertake nuclear modernization at the Minot Air Force Base.” -###-