Alerus Management Change

Officials with VenuWorks and the City of Grand Forks, N.D., agreed to end VenuWorks’ contract to run the city’s Alerus Center at the end of the year.

The Event Center Commission decided Aug. 24 to mutually end the contract and take over running the 22,000-capacity Alerus Center, which would save the city about $175,000 annually.

VenuWorks staff would remain at the facility as city employees in a lesser role such as handling concessions, according to company president Steve Peters.

The Alerus Center, opened in 2001, has dealt with its share of financial setbacks in recent years. The projected loss for this year is about $271,000.