Civic Center Expansion Fails | Video

Joel Porter | 11/7/2012

Bismarck voters rejected a multi-million dollar expansion of the Civic Center. The Epicenter Committee proposed expanding the Civic Center exhibit hall to promote it as a convention center. Much of the $90 million construction would have been paid for with a hospitality tax on hotel rooms and restaurants over 20 years.

More than 17,000 thousand people voted "no".

"And if you`re going to spend nearly $90 million on that, go get a piece of land and build something that actually makes sense for our community," said Tomi Collins, who opposed the measure.

Both voters and city leaders say available parking around the Civic Center is already a problem.

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