Mar. 3, 2025

A group of residents interested in cleaning up and restoring Mandan’s Crying Hill have teamed up with City staff and leaders. This past fall, the City sought permission from Three Affiliated Tribes, the property owners for the land under “M,A,N,D” to clean up the area and work on restoring the letters. The City of Mandan owns the land under the last two letters “A, N”.

Mandan High School’s Four Directions group gave the effort a theme, “Honoring the past, Healing the future.” The hope is after the project is complete, for the high school group to bring the community out to Crying Hill to teach them about the history and significance of the location.

In September 2024, Doosan Bobcat volunteers removed volunteer trees and cleared brush around the letters.

Originally, the idea was to scrape and repaint the concrete letters this spring. However, once the letters were evaluated more closely, it was apparent that more work would need to be done. Three Affiliated Tribes has been informed of a potential restoration project and is in general agreement with the need to update the lettering.

A landscape architect has designed a concept for the project. The plan is for the design to incorporate lighting to illuminate the letters.

City leaders are seeking private funds for the project, estimated at $1.2 million.

The site has undergone changes since the original 300 ft. by 70 ft. sign was installed in June 1934. Mandan Historical Society has an extensive history of the hill available at mandanhistory.org.

Stay tuned to cityofmandan.com/news for updates. 

First Street improvements phase I moves forward

The City Commission recently approved the resolutions necessary to move forward with the 2026 Street Improvement District 236, which is phase I of the improvements to First Street NW.

Project area. Improvements will take place along First Street NW from fourth Ave NW to Sixth Ave NW, including Fourth Ave NW from Main Street to Second Ave NW and Fifth Ave NW from First St NW to Second St NW.

This project includes roadway reconstruction and concrete pavement with curb and gutter, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades, lighting, streetscaping and landscaping, underground utilities including storm sewer, water main, sanitary sewer and associated services and related work. 

The main objective of this project is to provide a more walkable/accessible downtown area in Mandan.

There’s a large area of Mandan, known as Mandan Proper, that is in significant need of a street improvement project. Mandan Proper is the area from Second St NW up to Division St NW between Sixth Ave NW and Collins Ave. The need for this project was identified in the 2024 pavement condition report. Of the approximate 6 miles of road, 93% of the roads in the project area are in need of a full reconstruction.

There is approximately 15,000 feet of watermain, mostly cast iron, that would also be replaced as part of this project. With 36 water breaks since 2015 in this area, 80% of those breaks occurred in the last five years.

Other key project elements include strategic Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant routes; improvements to transit access; and complete streets. Reconstruction of the streets will also reestablish curb and gutter sections increasing conveyance and decreasing ponding.

The BUILD (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development) grant, formerly known as the RAISE grant, is a program though the United States Department of Transportation that allows the federal government to support and maintain transportation infrastructure that they otherwise could not. The program is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, providing $1.5 billion annually for the years 2022-2026. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis. The maximum grant award City staff has discovered in their research is $25 million and that is the amount they are seeking in the application.

After years of planning and collaboration, the City of Mandan is excited to announce the development of a mural alley in the heart of downtown, which is planned to be located on the 200 block of West Main Street (behind the buildings between First and Second Avenues NW). Initially envisioned in the 2018 downtown plan, the project was revitalized in spring 2024 by a dedicated group of downtown business owners, place makers and Mandan's event organizers. 

A coalition of arts advocates and community leaders is now preparing to issue a call for artists, with mural installations slated for summer 2025. The project is supported by a grant from the Northern Plains National Heritage Area and the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation. 

As the project moves forward, additional details will be shared on a dedicated webpage on the City’s website.

Spring Clean-Up Week is April 21-26. This is a special week set aside for special waste collection at the boulevard curb on your regularly scheduled collection day. The landfill will also be open for disposal of items such as furniture and appliances free of charge during the week. Learn more at cityofmandan.com/cleanup.

Community Clean-Up Month is May! Businesses, civic organizations and youth groups are encouraged to take responsibility for picking up litter along various routes during the month of May. Stay tuned to cityofmandan.com/littercleanup for volunteer sign-ups. 

The City of Mandan’s Board of Equalization will meet Tuesday, Apr.1 at 7 p.m. in the Ed “Bosh” Froelich meeting room at Mandan City Hall (lower level – 205 2^nd Ave NW). Each City of Mandan taxpayer has the right to appear before the City of Mandan Board of Equalization and petition for correction of the taxpayer’s assessment.

Questions concerning this meeting should be directed to the City Assessor's Office, open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday –Thursday and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, at 701-667-3232 or by emailing assessing@cityofmandan.com.

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