2010
- Vlana Vlee closes (January)
- Tuesday Morning closes (January)
- Kia replaces Saturn at Bill Barth’s secondary dealership (January)
- A&W Restaurant/Long John Silver’s changes format to become “Reza’s Pitch” (January)
- CVS/pharmacy relocates Kirkwood Mall location, after 38 years at the shopping center (January 24)
- Sunrise Elementary opens
- Minot-based Ryan Chevrolet announces purchase of Corwin-Churchill Motors (February 3)
- Brides By Maxine closes (February)
- BSC Aquatic & Wellness Center opens (February)
- St. Gabriel’s Community opens (May)
- Mayor John Warford wins third term by a landslide 75% (June)
- Long-time local representative, Connie Sprynczynatyk, retires from service (June)
- Jimmy Johns first opens (July)
- Magi-Touch Carpet & Furniture begins 30,000 square-foot expansion (July)
- Men’s Wearhouse opens (est August)
- La Quinta Inns & Suites opens
- Construction on a new parking ramp between 5th & 6th Streets on Broadway Avenue begins
- Five Guys Burgers opens (November)
- Famous Labels opens at Gateway Mall (November; closed in 2012)
- Toasted Frog opens (December)
2011
- Bismarck Motor Hotel Destroyed By Fire
- Bismarck Smoking Ban Passes Public Vote
- The largest flooding since the 1952 Flood hits the region, cresting at 19.25 feet and damaging about 700 homes.
- Arrowhead Plaza completed exterior renovation
- Space Aliens opens downtown BBQ Pit location inside the former Drumstick Cafe (now closed)
- Chico’s opens Kirkwood Mall location
- New downtown parking ordinance passes that prevents vehicles from parking on the same block within a four-hour span.
- HuHot opens on the former south KFC site
- Century Avenue reconstructed into 4 lanes to Centennial Avenue.
- Blockbuster Video closes. The store first opened in 1994 and was later the home to Bismarck’s first Papa Murphy’s. Today, it is home to Bismarck Title Company.
- Long-time employee Bob Kupper acquires Ressler’s Chevrolet and Subaru Dealerships, which is rebranded Kupper Chevrolet and Kupper Subaru. The Mandan dealership was previously Bob Chase Chevrolet and Ivan Gandrud Chevrolet.
2012
- North Dakota surpasses California to become the third-largest oil producing state for the first time (March).
- Schlotzsky’s moves onto the former North American Steak Buffet (Bonanza) site
- Famous Labels closes at Gateway Mall
- Sweet Treats opens, replacing Patisserie On Fourth
- America’s Mattress moves to Skyline Boulevard
- Game Stop adds second location at Skyline Boulevard
- Bismarck Public Schools Approves New High School; 2 New Elementary Schools
- Dakota Wizards relocates to California
- Bobcat returns jobs to Bismarck after shutting operations in 2009
- New traffic signal approved for Washington and 43rd
- Grand Theater adds seven screens – to 22, and adds additional parking. The projects replace two recently vacated buildings – Hodge Podge (formerly UBC Thunderbird Home Improvement) and Green Thumb Nursery.
- Donut Hole becomes Bearscat Bakehouse. The bakery originated in Dickinson – sharing ownership with Baker Boy – before a local partner established a Mandan location in 1978, followed by Bismarck in 1981.
- Scheels announces plans for 40,000 square foot expansion, would, when complete, will make it the largest single-floor location
- McDonald’s on Main drops its Rock N’ Roll theme, renovates
- Dave’s Hobbies located inside the Anderson Building closes after 18 years in business
- Hellman Brothers closes
- Fireflour Pizza establishes permanent location
- McDonald’s Rock N’ Roll drops 1950s diner theme
- JL Beers opens
- Voters reject a measure that would have increased the motel, liquor and restaurant tax by 1.5% and the lodging tax by 1% to finance a proposed $90-million expansion of the Bismarck Civic Center. The following year, the City Commission approves a scaled-back expansion that will be financed through bonds paid by existing taxes, avoiding a public vote.
- Party World closes
- Sweetheart Bakery outlet closes at 1700 E Main Avenue (today’s 3Be Meats)
- Doublewood Inn becomes Ramada – the hotel’s original franchise until 1993
- MacKenzie River Pizza opens (December)
2013
- Bismarck approves curbside recycling program
- Petco opens inside the former Rex TV and Appliance
- Bismarck Civic Center $27 million expansion approved
- Bobcat completes $6.5 million renovation of its Bismarck plant
- Major snowstorm sets new single-day snow record (April), topping 1966 and 1997 blizzards
- RCC Western re-brands Boot Barn
- Sykes Enterprises closes in July. The branch opened in February 1996.
- Mandan Walmart opens
- TGI Fridays closes abruptly
- Corborn’s purchases Captain Jack’s Liquor Land and Mandan’s Bill’s Liquor
- Shiloh Christian School completes an $8.5 million athletic complex.
- Dan’s Supermarket acquires Bismarck’s Central Market. Mandan store closes.
- Riverside Elementary closes. South Central High relocates into the building.
- Epic Sports relocates into former Hansen’s Furniture
2014
- Broadway Grill & Tavern opens
- Thrifty White relocates Mandan store from downtown to Overlook Lane near Walmart
- Urban Girl closes
- La Tejana Mexican Market opens
- Good Times Burgers departs market
- Bismarck debuts its first city-wide curbside recycling program on March 31. Waste Management is selected as the vendor, who distributes recycling cans to households for pickup every other week. Residents are allowed to voluntarily opt out of the program. The city previously attempted a limited curbside program from 1994-1996 in the city’s northeast neighborhoods, about one-third of the total households.
- St. Alexius signs agreement with Catholic Health Initiatives
- President Obama and First Lady Michelle arrive in Bismarck en route to nearby Cannon Ball on the Standing Rock reservation. It was the first ever visit to a North Dakota Indian reservation by a sitting U.S. President. It was the first time a sitting President visited North Dakota since George W. Bush in 2001 and the first to visit Bismarck since George H.W. Bush in 1989.
- Hooter’s closes, Sickie’s Garage opens in its place
- A $52 million expansion of the State Heritage Center is completed. The museum originally opened in 1981.
- Bismarck Civic Center is renamed Bismarck Event Center
- American Airlines adds direct flights to Dallas & Chicago
- New parking ramp is completed at 6th Street and Broadway Avenue
- Heritage Center completes $52 million renovation and 97,000-square foot expansion
- (Gee) Williquors opens
- A $9 million project finished on East Divide Avenue, straightening its previous “circuitous route” that wrapped around Channel Drive and into present-day Mariam Avenue at Bismarck Expressway.
- Newly christened and renovated MDU Community Bowl holds grand opening September 13th with NBC’s The Voice finalist, and North Dakota native, Kat Perkins headlining concert. Improvements total $8 million. The original Bowl, located on Bismarck State College’s campus, was approved in 1994 and debuted in 1997.
- Horizon Market opens
- Liberty and Lincoln Elementary open.
- Coldwater Creek closes at Kirkwood Mall as part of nationwide liquidation
- Voters approve a joint Burleigh-Morton County Jail, but defeat controversial measures to eliminate property taxes and the statewide pharmacy ownership law.
- Panera Bread and Caribou Coffee announce Bismarck locations.
- Bismarck’s original Burger King on 3rd Street remodels
2015
- Phase 1 of Sunrise Town Centre opens, anchored by Dan’s Supermarket (January)
- $3.2 million Quiet Rail Zone approved
- Rasmussen College closes Bismarck campus. It opened as Aaker’s Business College in 2003.
- Arrowhead Tesoro closes. Opened in 1956, it was Bismarck’s last full service station.
- SpartanNash acquires Dan’s Supermarket
- Corwin Churchill Appliance closes after 80 years
- Snooper’s Tons of Fun and Giovanni’s Pizza (housed within) closes; replaced by Bisman Community Food Co-op
- Hillside Pool completes renovation
- Mandan residents narrowly approve $22 million sports complex.
- Harbor Freight Tools opens at Gateway Mall, assuming part of the south anchor space vacated by Famous Labels
- Arby’s closes at Kirkwood Mall. Arby’s first opened at Kirkwood in 1981 – the first in North Dakota. It relocated within the mall in 2005.
- FiveSouth project announced as the city considers establishing a new TIF zone and $35 million in infrastructure improvements in support. The mixed-use project would redevelop a stretch of 5th and 4th Streets and Sweet and Bowen Avenues near the Bismarck Event Center into a mixed-use dense urban area. a 140-room Sheraton Hotel and CRAVE restaurant attach to the project in 2016. As of 2021, FiveSouth is considered dead.
- A $27-million, 50,000-square-foot expansion of the newly christened Bismarck Event Center concludes. The scaled-back controversial project proceeded with unanimous support of the City Commission after voters rejected a measure to finance a proposed $90-million expansion in 2012.
- Northbrook Drug becomes Thrifty White
- Legacy High School opens
- Communications and Creative Arts Center and Lloyd Ritchie Residence Hall open at Bismarck State College.
- Phase 1 of Hay Creek Shops opens with Dick’s Sporting Goods, Gordman’s, Michael’s, and Bed, Bath, & Beyond anchoring (October)
- Longhorn Steakhouse opens November 23
- Animal Kingdom closes
- Panera Bread opens
- Terra Nomad opens
- New St. Mary’s Central High School building announced
- Kirkwood Ace Hardware builds second store – at 4321 Ottawa Street
- 15 Bismarck intersections receive traffic signal upgrades, replacing “Left Turn Yield on Green” with flashing yellow left turn signals.
- Both RadioShack and Deb Shops close Kirkwood stores as part of nationwide liquidation.
2016
- North Dakota’s first H&M opens at Kirkwood Mall, a 22,000-square foot store
- Hancock Fabrics closes due to corporate bankruptcy
- Pinehurst Square Wendy’s closes, to be replaced by American Bank Center
- Saxvik Elementary closes
- Fiesta Villa closes
- Golden Corral closes a final time
- Reza’s Pitch closes
- Gate City Bank Residence Hall opens at Bismarck State College.
- Bismarck debuts a “road diet” along Main Avenue, which reconfigured a portion of the street from four lanes to three, between 6th and Mandan Streets.
- Minerva’s Restaurant closes at Kelly Inn
- Buffalo Wings & Rings opens
- Sky Zone Park opens.
- A & B Pizza opens Kirkwood Mall location, replacing Bob’s Pizza
- Phase 2 of Hay Creek Shops opens, adding Kirkland’s, Maurices, Ross, and Mattress Firm.
- Ground is broken on a new six-story, $40 million office tower at the southeast corner of Divide and State Street to serve as the headquarters for First International Bank & Trust (May). The site was formerly home to Hillside Motel.
- Presidential candidates Donald Trump, from the Bismarck Event Center, and Bernie Sanders, in front of the former Northern Pacific depot, campaign in Bismarck.
- Grand Junction Grilled Subs opens
- Construction of the nearby Dakota Access Pipeline draws thousands of protesters from across the country, who set up various camps near Cannon Ball, most notably the Sacred Stone Camp. By some estimates, the Scared Stone Camp swelled to 10,000 inhabitants at its peak.Protesters clashed with law enforcement over the span of several months, including altercations in downtown Bismarck. The event, which primarily lasted between August 2016-February 2017, resulted in hundreds of arrests and received national coverage by such outlets as CNN and NBC News. Numerous celebrities also arrived to support the protests, including Mark Ruffalo, Leo DiCaprio, Jesse Jackson, Shailene Woodley, and Presidential candidate Jill Stein. Woodley and Stein both faced charges in relation to the protests, each of which resulted in plea deals.
2017
- Missouri Valley YMCA partners with Sanford Health to open the 41,000-square-foot Mandan Family Wellness Center in January.
- Mandan Bonanza closes. The restaurant originated as Choice Cut Family Steak House before being acquired, in 1979, by the original owner of Bismarck’s Bonanza.
- Culver’s confirms Mandan location
- Bismarck voters overwhelmingly approve a $57.5 million bond to renovate and expand all three middle schools (Simle, Wachter, and Horizon), along with Bismarck and Century High Schools in March. The middle school projects are expected to complete by fall 2018, with all projects concluded by 2020.
- Noodlezip opens
- Cash Wise renovations include a new exterior facade and a new checkout and bagging system
- Burger King opens Sunrise Town Centre location. It replaces its Gateway Mall outlot location, closed in 2012 after twenty years.
- Spa D’Athena closes in October. It was originally reported to be temporary while the business remodels and re-opens as a new concept, but the decision is made permanent shortly. Its assets are liquidated in February 2018.
- Capital Ice Complex and Wachter Arena open at 221 Reno Drive, alongside a renovated Schaumberg Arena (November). More than $3.8 million was raised for the project.
- Wells Fargo building begins renovation and rebranding effort. When complete, the building will be called Grand Pacific Center as a homage to the long-time hotel that formerly occupied the site.
- Lucky’s 13 Pub opens.
- Burleigh/Morton Detention Center is completed in June at 4000 Apple Creek Road. The joint Burleigh-Morton County 475-bed jailhouse cost $69 million.The former jail in downtown Bismarck will be converted into office space.
- President Trump visits the Mandan refinery in September. The visit was largely to support his proposed tax overhaul. He had previously campaigned in Bismarck the year prior.
- Mandan Arby’s is announced
- Bob’s Photo closes after 38 years (December)
2018
- New Governor’s Residence occupied in March, replacing the previous home first occupied in March 1960 that stood immediately adjacent.
- Kirkwood Mall commences a major renovation project in February that will upgrade its south entrance, restrooms, furniture, and common area flooring.
- Sears Holdings announces its intention to close the Bismarck Sears store in April. Sears had first come to Bismarck in 1946, replacing Webb Brothers on the 300 block of East Main. It was an original anchor when Gateway Mall opened in 1979.
- Mathison’s closes. The Bismarck branch opened in December 1983.
- Dan’s Supermarket parent SpartanNash announces its intent not to renew its lease at Arrowhead Plaza. The long-time grocery store closes on February 21 after 65 years.
- Cash Wise announces its intent to open a second Bismarck store, in northern Bismarck near Ottawa Street and 43rd Avenue.
- Woodmansee’s relocates from downtown Bismarck to Mandan. Opened in 1914, it was located at 114 N 4th Street since 1929.
- Charras & Tequila plans Mexican restaurant in north Bismarck.
- Planet Fitness expected to replace Hancock Fabric at Gateway Mall.
- Bon-Ton, parent of Herberger’s, announces nationwide liquidation and expects to close all of its stores, including at Kirkwood Mall.
- Expressway Inn and Suites becomes EverSpring Inn and Suites
-
Royse’s Produce closes after 70 years.
- Which Wich opens at Southridge Centre
- Buffalo Wild Wings opens second Bismarck location inside former Golden Corral
2019
- Cash Wise opens second Bismarck store, near 43rd Avenue and State Street (January).
- Bismarck’s Kelly Inn closes (February). The hotel originated as the Town House Motor Inn in 1970. The building is demolished in January 2020.
- Staples announces closure of its Bismarck store, on February 22. The store opened in 1999.
- Payless ShoeSource announces nationwide liquidation, including its existing store at Kirkwood Mall. The discount shoe store’s first local location was at 412 E Bowen Avenue. It first opened at Kirkwood in 1986, and also once had a location at Gateway Mall.
- White House Cafeteria closes after 51 years. The cafeteria was located inside White Drug in the Parkade.
- Saint Mary’s Central High School opens new building at 5802 Ridgeland Drive in August, relocating from its previous schoolhouse where it was housed since 1952. The former schoolhouse continues to serve as a middle school.
- Family Dollar is announced as a replacement to the former Dan’s Supermarket at Arrowhead Plaza. The national retailer currently maintains a Mandan location, but shuttered its former Bismarck store on Expressway in 2018.
- Natural Grocers plans Bismarck location, to occupy the recently shuttered Staples building.
- Pizza Ranch opens Bismarck location at Hay Creek Shops, complimenting its long-time Mandan restaurant.
- Runnings relocates Mandan store from The Strip to the former Central Market grocery store on Main Street (August).
- Noodles & Company opens (November).
- Several restaurants are announced for an outlot south of Kirkwood Mall, including Chick-fil-A, Blaze Pizza, and the city’s second Five Guys. Construction begins in June 2021.
- Bismarck’s Kmart is reported to be closing.
- Video Action announces it will close December 31. It is the last surviving local video rental store. The store was once part of a chain, with stores in Steele, Fargo, Wahpeton, and a second Bismarck location at 1033 S Washington. It built its second Bismarck store at 819 E Century in 1996, while also continuing its Washington Street location for some time after.
- Quadruple homicide reported at RJR Maintenance and Management in Mandan on April 1. Authorities arrested the suspect, 46-year-old Chad Isaak, four days later. After several delays, the trial is expected to commenced August 2, 2021.
