Bemidji Rail Corridor Project Has Hazy Timeline

Many parts of the rail corridor redevelopment project in Bemidji are still in the works. That doesn’t mean important aspects of the project have completely halted, but the timeline is unclear due to approval needed for important aspects of the project.

At the latest update on Thursday from contributors and partners for the Rail Corridor Development Committee at Bemidji City Hall, remediation plans were the center of conversation.

A plan is ready to go but has not gained approval. If approved, the plan will determine what will be constructed. But due to grant rounds happening so late in the year, starting or even completing the project will most likely not happen in 2023.

“There are certain critical timelines that things need to be done at, and so a lot of this does depend on what the developer wants to do,” said city manager Nate Mathews. “So we internally have a kind of a map, chart here … and a lot of this is, relates to the grant timelines, too, because the grants are a critical component of this remediation and also the redevelopment.”

The next rail corridor update is planned for February 23 at 4:30 p.m.