Bemidji starts downtown stump removal, sidewalk repairs this week

Downtown Bemidji’s stump removal and sidewalk repair work began Monday, April 21, putting city crews and equipment in the middle of the commercial core for a job officials say should stay out of the way of normal traffic. The project is expected to last about three to four weeks, and city officials said it is not expected to block traffic, trigger temporary closures or require detours.

Even with limited disruption, the work will be visible where downtown stumps are being pulled and sidewalks are repaired. Businesses in the area are likely to see brief impacts as crews move through the project sites, but the city’s goal is to keep the downtown corridor functioning while the repairs are finished. For shoppers and workers who park and walk downtown, the message is simple: expect active work zones, but not a full shutdown of the area.

This phase is part of a longer sidewalk-safety effort that city leaders tied directly to damaged walking surfaces. In March 2025, Bemidji Parks Superintendent Scott Schroeder said the downtown tree removal project was “solely based on the safety of the sidewalks,” after tree roots had blown out concrete and pavers and created trip hazards. Lakeland News reported that 14 downtown trees were slated for removal, with half on Beltrami Avenue and the rest on 2nd Street, 3rd Street and Minnesota Avenue.

The city laid out that broader plan in an April 11, 2025 newsletter, saying the downtown tree replacement project was scheduled to start April 22 and warning that temporary disruptions to sidewalks and streets could limit access near affected addresses while crews worked. The stump removal now underway is the later stage of that phased project, following tree removals and leading into the sidewalk repairs that will finish the job.

The work also fits into the city’s regular infrastructure duties. Bemidji Public Works says its Streets/Lights Division maintains 80 miles of streets and sidewalks, while the Engineering Division supports street, sidewalk, water main, sanitary sewer and storm sewer projects. In downtown Bemidji, that means maintenance is not just about appearances. It is about keeping the public right-of-way safer for people using walkers, strollers and wheelchairs, and about reducing the trip hazards that roots left behind.

The timeline can still shift if weather or equipment slow the crew, but the city’s downtown tree-and-stump work is moving ahead as one more piece of a larger effort to make Bemidji’s core easier to navigate.