Fifth Street is being extended from Center Avenue to the forthcoming Minnesota Avenue, with City Hall standing alone at its north end. (Photo/Nancy Hanson.)

Architectural rendering of public access on first floor of redeveloped City Hall.

New configuration of downtown streets and avenues.

City Hall, free of the Center Mall that once surrounded it, now stands alone at the head of a brand-new stretch of Fifth Street in downtown Moorhead.

The white five-story building often called the “Sugar Cube,” tops off the north end of an extension of the street that has, for 50 years, terminated at Center Avenue. To City Hall’s left stands The Loop, the new community center and public library that has taken shape at the corner of Center and Fourth. A new roadway, Minnesota Avenue, will eventually be built between the two structures, connecting Fifth Street to Fourth Street, while a second new route, Red River Avenue, will be constructed on the north side of City Hall.

The Loop is expected to be complete late in the coming spring. City Hall renovation is scheduled to end by later in the year.

When the Center Mall was eliminated at its feet, the city government headquarters gained an entire floor of space. That ground floor is being remodeled to be the main area where residents can conduct their business with the city, with plenty of meeting rooms for consultation between citizens and staff.

Just to its east, another new stretch of street is taking shape. That route, designated Sixth Street, is to the west of the 650 Block, the mixed-use structure that’s now home to Downtown Health and Wellness, The Forge fitness center and The Oasis spa.

The two streets under construction will eventually connect to Minnesota Avenue, an east-west passage.