REIMAGINING A WAREHOUSE 

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Project Overview:
Endeavor North Design is working with the Next Play team to transform the former UNFI distribution facility in south Bismarck into a new multi-use recreation destination. The approximately 200,000-square-foot existing building offers the scale and flexibility to bring a wide range of sports, training, wellness, and community uses together under one roof.

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At the center of the project is a simple idea: create more opportunities for people to play, train, and connect, while giving new purpose to a large existing building.

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Adaptive Reuse at a Different Scale:
Rather than starting with a new building, the design takes advantage of the volume, structure, and open floor area already available within the former warehouse. The challenge is transforming an industrial environment into a place that feels active, welcoming, and intentionally designed for people.

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The planning approach works within the strengths of the existing structure while introducing new circulation, gathering areas, recreation spaces, and amenities that establish an entirely different identity for the building.

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More Than Sports:
Next Play is envisioned as a flexible recreation hub supporting youth sports, training, community events, courts, and indoor turf, alongside public-facing amenities including a café, indoor walking track, and indoor playground. The mix of reserved athletic areas and more accessible community spaces is intended to allow multiple generations and activities to overlap throughout the day.

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That variety is an important part of the design. A family may arrive for one child’s practice while another trains elsewhere in the building, a parent walks the track, or the family spends time together in one of the shared spaces.

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Built for Flexibility:
The facility is being planned around a variety of user groups whose needs will continue to evolve as the project develops. Large, adaptable recreation zones and shared support spaces allow the building to accommodate different sports, organizations, events, and future programming without being tied too closely to a single use. Next Play describes the facility as a hybrid of public-access and reserved-use spaces, with programming and partnerships continuing to develop.

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Looking Ahead:
Next Play represents a significant opportunity to reuse an existing Bismarck building in an entirely new way, turning a former distribution center into a place centered on activity, wellness, and community. As planning and design continue, the facility will evolve alongside its future users while maintaining the flexibility needed to serve Bismarck for years to come.

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