The old Cornerstone Bank in Fargo, proposed new site of STAND.
PAYTON GALL, KSJB LOCAL NEWS –
Fargo residents met on Monday to discuss the proposed location of Sex Offender Treatment and Assessment North Dakota, relocating to a now empty bank.
Residents expressed concern about the vulnerable population in the area the organization, known as STAND, hopes to move to. That includes the YWCA Cass Clay Emergency Shelter, which houses women and children who have escaped domestic violence, which is about a half-mile from the old bank. Three elementary schools are roughly a mile from the building, and there are several nearby childcare centers.
The reason for the move is the staff outgrowing the old office, which they were housed in since 2014, when the state opted to not treat sex offenders directly; instead, they chose to contract with STAND.
Dr. Stacy Benson, the CEO of STAND, says they do not house these individuals, rather, they offer outpatient treatment. Benson would have preferred to stay in their current building, but their landlords’ fear of public backlash is preventing the renewal of their lease in June, 2025.
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