1980
- Kirkwood Mall completes expansion, doubling its footprint while adding two new anchors, Target and JCPenney. A Grand Opening celebration of the so-called Kirkwood II is held May 21.
- Carnegie Library is demolished
- Eastdale Shopping Center is dedicated at the corner of 26th Street and Rosser Avenue with Mini Mart as its anchor.
- Terra Vallee, a real estate developer, announces plans for a 163,000-square-foot shopping center northeast of the Sunset Drive interchange with Interstate 94 in northwest Mandan. A Super Valu and Kmart were planned anchors. The project ceased in 1983 after federal funding was rejected and both anchor tenants backed out. Today, the site is home to Walmart.
- Former Carnegie Library and 1911-built city/fire hall buildings on 500 block of Thayer Avenue demolished.
- McDowell Dam is dedicated in June. The manmade recreation area is named after local entrepreneur Harley McDowell, who donated the land to Burleigh County in the early 1970s under the condition that it would be developed for recreational use. The dam and surrounding area were constructed at a cost of $700,000, and has since become a popular destination for fishing and swimming, attracting up to 80,000 visitors each year.
- Basin Electric adds two floors to its headquarters, which only opened about 6 years prior. The $2.3-million expansion adds 44,000 square feet to the building.
- Former Patterson Hotel is condemned after years of failed attempts to renovate. This also temporarily closes The Cinema Theater housed within.
- State Street improvement project that commenced in 1979 is concluded. The project upgraded the road to 6 lanes between Divide and Century Avenues, as well as intersection improvements.
- Dakota Office Supply relocated to 1131 E Main Avenue. The building now houses Turitto’s, but its former “office supplies” sign still stands high above.
- Capitol Lanes opens on December 30. The bowling alley expanded several times before closing in 2004.
- Arrowhead Plaza completes a $300,000 exterior renovation, extending the public sidewalk and adding an overhang. The decorative “corner towers” were also implemented at this time.
- La Casa de Hamburguesa opens at 401 E Bismarck Expressway. It closes in 1984. It later houses Nick’s Ristorante and Sergio’s. Today, it’s home to Famous Dave’s.
- New traffic signals are installed on Mandan;s Main Street at Twin City Drive and 8th Avenue West, along with other street upgrades. The project was approved in 1978.
- The Woolworth’s store at Kirkwood is converted into a Woolco – the chain’s discount department store division.
1981
- New $8.4-million State Heritage Center is dedicated in May. Four current and past state governors attended the ceremony. It replaces the museum that previously operated out of the Liberty Memorial Building. Ground was broken in 1978. A $52 million expansion of the Center is completed in 2014.
- Dan’s Gateway Supervalu is established upon relocating from Kmart (where it was called Century Supervalu).
- The Navy requests the removal of the F9F Panther aircraft on display at Rosa Young Park, citing safety reasons due to its deteriorating condition. The aircraft had been on display since October 1962.
- Judicial wing completed on the Capitol.
- The Donut Hole opens Bismarck location. It previously opened a location in Mandan, in 1978. The venture is a partnership that includes the owners of Dickinson’s Baker Boy. Today, it is known as Bearscat Bakehouse.
- North Dakota’s first Arby’s opens at Kirkwood Mall in May. The restaurant was originally located in the center of the mall nearest Herberger’s (Bath & Body Works as of 2018). Sometime in the mid-1990s, a 24-seat section was cornered off and enclosed to comply with local smoking regulations. The Kirkwood Arby’s relocates in 2005 adjacent to J.C. Penney before closing in 2015.
- Woolworth’s closes its downtown store on Main Avenue, where it had been located for 55 years.
- Godfather’s Pizza opens Bismarck location at 1051 E Interstate Avenue on October 10th. It later became Primo Pizzaria & Suds before closing in 1988.
- Mandan’s Furniture First is established. The retailed ultimately becomes Furniture Plaza in 2001, at which time it encompasses four buildings housing four distinct sub-stores: Classic Oak, Sleep Center, Leather Collection, and Rooms For You. It closes in 2003.
1982
- Burlington Northern ceases operations in Bismarck, consolidating into its Mandan depot. The former Bismarck depot is sold to local developer Jim Christianson.
- Renovation is completed on the Liberty Memorial Building
- Conlin’s Furniture acquires Furniture City and conslidates inside the historic Webb Brothers building on Main Avenue. Furniture City had occupied the building shortly after Sears relocated to Gateway Mall in 1979. Conlin’s remained here until it, too, relocated to Gateway Mall, in 2004. Today, the building houses Zimmerman’s.
- Peavey closes its Mandan store and sells Bismarck’s Thunderbird Home Improvement to Northwestern Supply.
- Two new video rental stores open: Variety Video (422 W Main, Mandan) and National Video at 410 E Bowen. National Video later opens a second location at 1003 E Interstate. In 1990, it became West Coast Video – about two years after West Coast purchased National Video and became the nation’s largest video rental chain at the time. The Bowen store later became Budget while West Coast continued at Interstate. Became Stars on Video sometime between 1993-1994. Stars on Video relocates to the strip mall at Rosser & 26th. Closes in 1998 or 1999.
- City Commission approves renaming Bismarck Avenue to Bismarck Expressway in response to the road’s upgrade from a collector to an arterial pending completion of its four-lane upgrade (April). The new Expressway debuts by the end of the year, with the bridge connecting Mandan completed in 1985. A portion of Centennial Road is also renamed Bismarck Expressway in anticipation for it someday meeting up with the route. The City Commission also designated the frontage road west of Washington leading to Fox Island as Riverroad Drive.
- Save-Way Superette closes after 26 years. The store re-opens under new ownership in 1990 as Stoner’s.
- Rod Morast acquires Bismarck’s Red Owls and re-brands them as Rod’s Family Foods. Red Owl regains ownership in 1986.
- Big Boy/KFC relocates its downtown location at the southeast corner of 6th & Thayer to make room for Q&R’s major expansion project. The restaurant relocates directly across the street under a new new, “Across The Street Restaurant,” which evolves into Burgies in 1988. An independent KFC – the city’s second – also begins construction on South 3rd Street (present site of HuHot).
- Holiday Plus Warehouse opens in June (now Cash Wise Foods). The store expands by 17,000 square feet just one year later.
- Galleria Associates proposes a two-phase development project at the long-vacant Sixth Street Urban Renewal site. The $30.8 million plan calls for a 10-story hotel on the northwest corner, a 13-story office and condominium tower on the southeast corner, a 233-vehicle parking ramp on the northeast corner, and a two-story mixed-use building at the center.
- Sheraton Galleria begins construction (today’s Radisson Hotel). A 7-story Sheraton was originally planned as part of Kirkwood Plaza’s development, but never unfolded. Concurrently, the City Commission approved construction of the adjoining Galleria parking ramp and a skyway linking the hotel to the Parkade.
- Q&R Clinic and the affiliated Bismarck Hospital begin an $11.9-million expansion that includes a 6-story tower and closes a block of Thayer Avenue. It is officially occupied on December 20, 1983.
1983
- Papa’s Pumpkin Patch began in 1983, however does not open to the public until 1989. In 2007, Papa’s Polar Patch opened for the first time. The Polar Patch primarily focuses on winter related activities, including horse-driven sleigh rides, ice skating, and ice forts.
- Fiesta Villa relocates from Mandan into former train depot in Bismarck.
- FW Woolworth closes its Woolco (originally Woolworth) store at Kirkwood Mall, as the company’s discount division is dissolved nationwide.
- Bismarck Bowling Center closes after 37 years.
- The former Cinema Theater on Main Avenue, shuttered with Patterson Hotel’s condemnation, re-opens as the newly renovated Capitol Theater.
- Taco Johns replaces The Copper Penny restaurant at 320 S 3rd. The building originally housed Arthur Treacher’s Fish and Chips from 1977-1981.
- Saint Alexius dedicates five-story addition immediately south of the 1962 and 1975 additions, facing Broadway Avenue. Construction commenced on the $22 million, 125,486-square-foot addition in 1981.
- Final stretch of U.S. Highway 83 from Bismarck to Minot opens as four lanes in June.
- Kirkwood McDonald’s is established next to Target on October 1. It was the city’s second, after 2207 E Main (1971). The dining area was separated into three sections, including a patio area in the mall itself and a children’s area to the rear. It closed in 2003.
- Holiday Warehouse (now Cash Wise Foods) expands by 17,000 square feet.
- Mandan Dairy Queen is replaced by a larger restaurant for $350,000, moving from 1006 E Main to 1106 E Main. The larger restaurant also extends its menu offerings.
- Trails West, the successor to Jumbo’s Drive-in, closes. It replaced Jumbo’s in 1979.
- Golden Dragon restaurant renovates and expands into the adjacent building. It opened in 1977 and closes in 2005. Its original building formerly housed the long-time clothier Dahl, along with Weeda’s. Blarney Stone occupied it in 2009.
- Hansen’s Furniture establishes a second location at 201 E Main Avenue. The building was formerly occupied by Conlin’s Furniture and Carpet World. Today it is Zimmerman’s Clearance Center.
- Stonewood Inn (later The Ridge Motel) opens at 2630 Old Red Trail. It is positioned as an economy-class hotel to compliment the Seven Seas Motor Inn, located directly across the street.
- Q&R Clinic and the affiliated Bismarck Hospital complete its $11.9-million expansion that includes a 6-story tower and closes a block of Thayer Avenue. It is officially occupied on December 20, 1983. Its former building at 221 N 5th Street becomes the newly combined City/County Building.
- Mathison’s establishes Bismarck branch at 304 N 4th in December. It relocates to 112 N 4th in 1987 and closes in 2018.
1984
- Pizza Factory replaces local Happy Joe’s franchises, the first of which opened in 1977. The restaurant operates until 1990 before re-opening for another stint from 1991-1992.
- The state assumes control of Bismarck Junior College, which was previously part of Bismarck Public Schools.
- Parkade completes expansion adding two levels.
- The historic Logan Building at 3rd Street and Broadway Avenue is gutted by fire.
- Conlin’s Furniture sells Carpet World.
- Voters overwhelmingly reject a $16.4 million school bond measure that included a new elementary school (Solheim) and improvements to Wachter Junior High and Bismarck High School on June 4, 1984. A smaller $9.8 million bond is narrowly approved the following year.
- Huge diesel spill – estimated to be 600,000-to-1.16 million galloons – discovered beneath downtown Mandan. It takes until 2020 before cleanup is declared complete.
- Royal Fork opens at 1065 E Interstate Ave. It was a long-time national buffet restaurant based out of Boise, Idaho that operated until 2004. Caesar’s Centurion Family Restaurant was previously located in the building, from 1978-1984. Today, the building is home to China Star Buffet.
- Ron’s Family Restaurant closes at 1201 E Main Avenue. The building originally housed Country Kitchen, which closed in 1979. It later houses a succession of restaurants, including Weisbeck’s Family Restaurant until 1989, Main Street Diner until 1990, and finally Dakota Farms. Today, it houses Land O’ Lakes.
- La Casa de Hamburguesa closes at 401 E Bismarck Expressway. It opened in 1980. It later houses Nick’s Ristorante and Sergio’s. Today, it’s home to Famous Dave’s.
- City and County offices are combined and relocate into the former Q&R Clinic at 221 N 5th.
1985
- Daytons replaces former Woolco/Woolworth space at Kirkwood Mall
- Former Q&R Clinic is converted to house joined City & Burleigh County offices
- Jade Garden replaces Mr. Steak at 431 S 3rd Street
- The FCC grants a local license to KBMY-TV – Bismarck’s ABC affiliate, which begins broadcasting in March. The B and M of the call letters represent Bismarck while the Y was requested to match its parent’s other stations (including WDAY and KSFY). In accordance with the agreement, KBMY launches a local news operation, which ceases four years year.
- Rock’N 50’s Cafe opens at Gateway Mall, replacing State Street Cafe. It is established by the same Fargo-based company who later opens Shades at Kirkwood Mall and Borrowed Bucks Roadhouse.
- Playground added to Washington Street diamonds (today’s Sam McQuade Softball Complex).
- Knotty Pine Motel is destroyed by fire on May 12th. The motel had been in operation since the 1950s.
- After nearly 40 years in business, Farm City – a grocer – shutters after its then-owner is charged with arson for setting a massive fire to collect insurance money.
- Cedric Theel purchases Missouri Valley Motors.
- After three failed attempts, voters narrowly authorized a $9.8 million bond measure for public school upgrades. $3 million is earmarked towards constructing a new elementary school (Solheim) in southwest Bismarck, $2.5 million to expand Wachter Junior High, and $4.3 million for expanding and renovating Bismarck High. Another $1.6 million was funded from the district’s building fund. It was a scaled-down measure from the $16.4 million rejected by voters the previous year.
- Hillside Pool adds a waterslide, opening on July 4 (replaced in 2008).
- A second Wendy’s location is announced for 900 E Bismarck Expressway. The location closes, temporarily, in 1991 after being unable to strike a new lease agreement with the building’s owner. Its first location, at 2112 N 12th, opened in 1979.
- $15.8-million Bismarck Expressway bridge officially opens on July 23. It is one of North Dakota’s longest bridges and concludes the Expressway project that upgraded then-Bismarck Avenue into a four-lane arterial. Planning of the project commenced after a 1968 traffic study concluded that an additional bridge would be needed. The go-ahead was granted in the mid-1970s and construction commenced on October 6, 1981. The project was 80% federally funded. The completion of Bismarck Expressway leads to a decline in traffic on Main Avenue, as cited by a Highway Department official in a 1989 article, dropping from 17,400 vehicles per day near Airport Road in 1984 to 12,000.
- State Street McDonald’s is established next to Kmart. It was the city’s third, after 2207 E Main (1971) and Kirkwood Mall (1983). The building was replaced in the 2000s.
- Two new movie theaters open: Grand Theater and one at Gateway Mall. Each houses three screens, however the opening of Grand’s third is delayed due to financing.
- A Bismarck Rax Roast Beef Restaurant is established at 434 S 3rd. The building originally housed Village Inn Pizza Parlor. Applebees occupies the building in 1992.
- Four-way stop approved at Century Avenue and Washington Street. The intersection is upgraded to traffic signals in the mid-1990s and is today one of Bismarck’s busiest intersections.
- New traffic signal approved for Thayer Avenue and 9th Street. The signal is removed in 2018.
1986
- Borrowing scoreboards from the Civic Center, youth hockey first skate at the All Seasons Arena, which commenced construction in 1985. The Winter Sports and Recreation Show, held October 31-November 1, essentially opened the arena to the public. It doesn’t hold formal dedication until November 1987.
- White Mart closes at Gateway Mall. It is later replaced with Menards.
- Mary College is granted university status and begins offering Master level degrees
- Burleigh County Courthouse is remodeled and expanded (dedicated on September 26th).
- Red Owl regains ownership of its Bismarck stores, which had been operating independently as Rod’s Family Foods since 1982.
- Hodge Podge opens at 1019 N Interstate Ave. It is a local thrift store operated by The Dacotah Foundation, to raise funds and provide employment experience to individuals with disabilities. It relocates in 2001 and closes in about 2012.
- Kuilman’s Motel is demolished to create additional parking for Kroll’s Kitchen. It originated in 1940.
- Construction commences to upgrade Tom O’Leary from nine holes to eighteen. Also included are installing a sledding hill and walking trails.
- Sertoma baseball diamonds renamed Clem Kelley Softball Complex and Washington Street diamonds renamed Sam McQuade Softball Complex.
- A 1% city sales and use tax takes effect in April 1, narrowly approved by citizens on January 14 through a limited home rule charter. The final vote count was 3,713-3,576 – a 137-vote difference. The new tax is chiefly targeted at funding an expanded Civic Center and public library, with the condition that a 20-mill property tax reduction be granted. Citizens uphold the new tax in the November general election.
- Work commences on $11.4 million in school facility upgrades – $9.8 million funded through a voter-approved bond measure the previous year.
- Both Village Inn Pancake House locations, at at 405 S 7th Street and 2240 N 12th, become International (Inn) Restaurant. The south location closes in 1988 and becomes Denny’s. The north restaurant eventually changes formats in about to emphasize stir fry before shuttering on May 28, 2007. Today, the site houses La Quinta Inn & Suites.
- A $1.75 million renovation of the historic Logan Building at 3rd Street and Broadway Avenue is completed. The building was gutted by fire in 1984.
- Wilhelm Buick opens on the former Fleck Motors site (closed in 2007)
- Kirkwood Motor Inn (now Ramkota Inn) is foreclosed.
- Bismarck’s Capitol Cinema and Mandan’s Showboat Cinema both close in November and December, respectively.
1987
- Bismarck Junior College becomes Bismarck State College.
- Dan’s renovates and expands Gateway Supervalu
- Front Page Tavern closes – twice.
- Bismarck’s Red Owls complete renovation and re-open under the company’s new Freshmart Foods pilot store concept. Mandan’s Red Owl also closes.
- Labelle’s showroom re-brands as BEST, who acquired the chain in 1982. The store closes in 1997 following the company’s bankruptcy reorganization efforts.
- Wheel-A-While closes in July. The popular rolling skating rink opened in 1974.
- David’s Fine Foods relocates into the Logan Building. It closes the following year.
- Bismarck High completes $5.9 renovation and expansion, adding a commons area and relocating the library.
- Days Inn adds indoor pool. The project costs about $100,000.
- Giovanni’s Pizza opens. The restaurant relocated into Snooper’s Tons-of-Fun in 2002 before closing in 2015.
- Missouri Valley YMCA adds a second pool to its east, a spectator lounge, and 72 additional parking spots.
- Wachter Junior High completes $3.1 million in renovations and expansions, including a multipurpose room, new classrooms, gymnasium, library, and music area.
- Victor Solheim Elementary opens, named for the former Assistant Superintendent
- “MaNDan” letter billboard atop Crying Hill is relocated from its south to its present-day location on its northeast facing Interstate 94. The original stone was replaced with enforced concrete taken from roof beams of the former Mandan Pioneer building. The sign has been a fixture since 1929.
1988
- Town House Motor Inn foreclosed on in March. Kelly Inn Limited of Sioux Falls, who acquired Bismarck’s Sheraton Galleria in 1987, acquires the hotel in May. After an estimated $1 million renovation, it re-opens under the Kelly Inn banner in the fall.
- Kirkwood Motor Inn (now Ramkota) is acquired by Equitable Life Assurance Society in August. The following year, it begins an affiliation with Radisson, and undergoes a $3 million renovation.
- Eagle Statue dedicated at Custer Park (October 1)
- City Auditorium is renamed the Belle Mehus in honor of the longtime music teacher (May).
- 30,000-acre Wachter Ranch is foreclosed on
- David’s Fine Foods closes. It was established in 1979 at 3rd and Bowen and relocated in 1987.
- Saint Alexius dedicates $2.7 million outpatient surgery center, fills in the west courtyard added in 1983. (October)
- Denny’s replaces International Restaurant (originally Village Inn Pancake House 1972-1986) at 405 S 7th Street. Like its Village Inn predecessor, it was the first Denny’s in North Dakota.
- Capitol Theater closes a final time, to be occupied by Dakota Stage.
- Plans unveiled for a two-story rooftop restaurant and banquet center to be added to the Capitol. It would have a direct elevator installed on the tower’s northside. The plan met with fierce debate on both sides and ultimately never came to fruition.
1989
- Bismarck and Mandan host the Women’s International Bowling Congress Tournament, drawing 44,000 bowlers from around the country
- KBMY-TV ceases local news production in March after four years. Its broadcast license was jeopardized as a result, due to a stipulation that it produce “a substantial amount of local programming.” Despite this, KBMY-TV continues local broadcasts to this day, albeit without a local newscast.
- Centennial Elementary opens, named to commemorate the state’s centennial anniversary. It is the city’s last new school building constructed until Horizon Middle School in 2001 and the last new elementary building to open until 2010.
- Econofoods opens. The store later becomes Miracle Mart and Central Market before Dan’s Supermarket acquired it in 2013.
- Weisbeck’s Family Restaurant closes at 1201 E Main Avenue. The building originally housed Country Kitchen, which closed in 1979, followed by Ron’s Family Restaurant until 1984. It later houses a succession of restaurants, including Main Street Diner until 1990, and finally Dakota Farms. Today, it houses Land O’ Lakes.
- Veteran’s Memorial Library completes major expansion and renovation at a cost of roughly $3.9 million. It was largely financed, controversially, through the city’s $17 million sale/lease plan that also included a Civic Center expansion. The project added 50,000 square feet and renovated the original 1963-built 18,000-square-foot building.
- Northbrook Mall loses its two largest tenants: Freshmart Foods (Red Owl) and Jerry’s Trustworthy Hardware. The closures deal a crippling blow to Northbrook’s distinction as a popular neighborhood shopping center.
- Little Caesars opens Bismarck location at Northbrook Mall. Two additional locations, in a strip mall west of Walmart and a Mandan location next to Barlow’s, would later open before they were acquired by Papa John’s in 2000. As of 2020, the sole surviving Papa John’s is at Northbrook Mall. Little Caesars would return to Bismarck in 2008.
- In Mandan, Bill’s Supervalu occupies a larger store that July, built immediately east of its former building – at 504 W Main Street – on the site formerly housing Cloverdale Foods and a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership. Today, the building houses Runnings.
- The former Kirkwood Motor Inn (now Ramkota) commences a $3 million renovation and, in December, formally begins an affiliation with Radisson.
- Burger Time opens at 1320 E Main Ave. The Fargo-based restaurant is owned by Tom Sparks, who pitched the concept as a throwback to the original McDonald’s, emphasizing speed through its stripped-down operations. Burger Time offers no indoor seating, with drive-through and walk-up service only.
- Dakota Burgers opens at 302 S 9th Street, replacing Sakura. In 1991, Dakota Burgers evolves into Cock N’ Bull when it moves to the corner of 9th Street & Expressway (replacing Wendy’s, which itself returns in 1993). The building now houses American Family Insurance.
