Northwest Blog

The progress continues on the exterior of the building. All of the efface on the east and south sides  is gone and some of the old brickwork is being removed in preparation for the renovation. The inside of the teller and public areas has been cleared of all the bank's furnishings and made spic and span for a neigborhood Sneak Peek. The Chamber of Commerce members and DDA were invited in for a visit. Jim Steenerson with NMF Board Chair Gary Purath Littlest Guests Pam Kelsey is very enthused about having NMF join their store downtown. The NMF Work Crew (Left to Right) Barb Lien, Amy Tobkin, Nancy Vyskocil, Connie Aguillo, Lisa Peterson

Thanks to Bethany Wesley and  Dennis Doedon for their excellent article and support of our move to Downtown Bemidji. Read the story here http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/event/article/id/100038068/ Artist's rendering of the renovation of the exterior, facing 3rd Street. Artist's rendering of the renovation of the exterior, facing Beltrami Ave.

The fabulous weather sure made the exterior work more pleasant. Many drivers and pedestrians were intrigued by what is being done to the building on the corner of 3rd and Beltrami. Here are the latest photos: Beltrami Ave. side all cleared of efface and ready for next steps. 3rd Street side with two sections cleared of efface. Corner of building, with a fairly good example of the pediments and enhancements in the brickwork above the windows. Center section on 3rd street shows a different construction method used on the original exterior and the concrete blocks that were added before the efface was put on. Interior of the back of the old teller line, with the vault in the center. The vault is not going anywhere and will be used for storage of furniture needed for the training/meeting rooms. The old soffit style light fixtures are definitely going away. Devo hat, anyone? John Aguillo, husband of Connie, the NMF admin assistant, both of  whom are handy and good at

Here is the first blog post showing the work so far on the outside of the building on Third and Beltrami in downtown Bemidji. The goal is to get as much of the exterior work done as is possible before the tourist season begins and traffic increases downtown. The original brick work is going to be preserved in part, as much as possible, in an attempt to capture the look of the building when it was constructed. Revitalizing downtown and preserving a bit of history is a big part of NMF's goal for the project. The efface is coming off on a rainy Monday, March 12 More progress in the sunshine and 50 degree weather March 13 The contracted company has been great about keeping the sidewalks clean, clear and safe. This south wall on 3rd Street still has a  ways to go.  East wall on Beltrami Ave. nearly cleared of efface by the end of another gorgeous, sunny, 57 degree day on March 14. How lucky is it to have weather like this for our project!   Attempting to get a