A New Space for Creating Community Opens in Dickinson

• A repurposed area of downtown Dickinson, North Dakota, is providing the community with a central gathering space for outdoor movies, concerts, recreation and educational programs.
• Legacy Square opened recently after five years of planning and fundraising, including a $200,000 grant from Marathon Petroleum Corporation.
• The grand opening launched a summer concert series that continues into September.

It was once a banking center. Now, it serves to bring together a city as an open-air, central gathering space for concerts, educational programs, outdoor movies and a variety of other activities. Legacy Square, a repurposed area in downtown Dickinson, North Dakota, recently opened after five years of planning and fundraising.

“We are proud to support this project because it is focused on building thriving communities, which reflects one of Marathon’s community investment priorities, and provides another true destination in this region of the state,” said Chris Staats, General Manager of Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s (MPC) Mandan refinery and Dickinson renewable diesel facility.

“This site is a new focal point for social activity, allowing families and residents to come together while providing expanded opportunities to local businesses.”

MPC provided a $200,000 grant as one of the first private-sector contributors to this city-managed project. The new site incorporates native plants and grasses, a stage with a large digital screen, pergolas for shade, a covered pavilion with retractable walls and a play-and-splash area for children. Beyond the site’s amenities, events also often involve the closure of adjacent streets to allow for local food trucks, bounce houses and other attractions.

Legacy Square’s grand opening at the end of June launched a free summer concert series that continues into September with a variety of local, regional and national recording artists. City representatives noted there has been discussion of possibly adding other features to the square in the future to accommodate activities during colder months of the year.

“This site is a new focal point for social activity. It allows families and residents to come together downtown in ways that didn’t exist before, which also creates expanded opportunities for local businesses,” Dickinson Renewable Diesel Facility Manager Steve Schram said. “Legacy Square is an amazing asset that is likely to be a place where lasting memories are created for years to come.”