"A daylong celebration on Sept. 17 [2004] marked the dedication of the new NDSU
Downtown. A large crowd of faculty, staff, students, community leaders, alumni and
friends of the university attended the ceremony and took tours of the $10 million facility.
The former Northern School Supply building now houses the university's visual arts department, major
components of the architecture and landscape architecture department and the Tri-College University office.
'Fargo is a place where partnerships bloom. Thanks to the hard work of our many partners, NDSU's
architecture, landscape architecture and visual arts faculty and students now have a state-of-the-art
facility in which to study, create and explore,' said President Joseph A. Chapman, during the dedication ceremony.
'These have long been outstanding programs burdened by the worst of facilities. Now we go
from worst to first.'
Located at 650 NP Ave. in Fargo's downtown, the 75,800-square foot, five-story facility includes studios,
classrooms, a wood shop, digital media room, gallery and sculpture area.
The structure, originally called the Robb-Lawrence Co. warehouse, was constructed in 1903. In 1920,
Northern School Supply moved into the building, and became a downtown fixture for decades. The
company closed its doors in 1997, and the building was purchased by School Specialty Inc., Appleton, Wis.
It was slated for demolition in 2000. The building was saved when it was purchased by NDSU
alumnus Doug Burgum, senior vice president at Microsoft Corp. Through a collaboration with
the NDSU Development Foundation, City of Fargo and Burgum, the building was gifted to the university
in 2001. Project funding also came from a historic preservation grant and a Renaissance Zone
tax credit." (It's Happening at State, September 21, 2004, p. 1)
Architectural Information
The building was built in 1903 for the Robb-Lawrence Company. It was designed by William C. Albrant. Renovations into current Downtown Campus, Michael J. Burns Architects, Ltd., Fargo.
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univarchives@www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu
University Archives, 701-231-8914 Published by the University Archives, NDSU Last Updated: 5/10/2005 |