An architect could be selected for design of a new Bank of North Dakota building by July, while plans for the location of a new Bank of North Dakota building are being kept confidential.

The Industrial Commission, which is comprised of Gov. John Hoeven, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem and Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson, gave approval Tuesday for bank officials to select an architect, consider building sites and negotiate a purchase price for a site.

The Legislature approved spending $11 million on a new bank earlier this year, but gave the bank the option of taking a second bid for a strong enough building that would allow for construction of three floors later.

Plans are for the bank, located at 700 E. Main Ave., to be rebuilt at its current location or constructed in another location downtown.

Dale Eberle, senior vice president of banking services for the Bank of North Dakota, said the bank will advertise for bids for an architect for three weeks. The call for bids, which will be seen in newspapers across the state, could go out within a week to 10 days.

The architects will be ranked and interviewed before a recommendation is forwarded to the Industrial Commission for approval. A selection committee also will help make the recommendation.

Created in 1919, the Bank of North Dakota is the only state-owned bank in the nation.

The bank is currently housed in two structures - a four-story tower built in 1917 and an annex that was built in 1967.

The tower was originally built as an automobile assembly plant, but the bank moved in two years later. The annex was a former grocery store that was purchased by the bank in 1989 and remodeled to house the student loan division.

Eric Hardmeyer, president of the bank, told legislators earlier this year that a new building is needed because the bank has few windows, contains asbestos, mold and lead paint, and it does not meet fire codes.

The Industrial Commission closed the portion of the meeting on Tuesday in which possible locations where discussed.

Hardmeyer had a map in his hand of possible locations, but he said it would be discussed in the closed portion of the meeting, and that he could not show it to the media.

The commission cited a law that allows the meeting to be closed when officials are considering a negotiating strategy.

(Reach reporter Tom Rafferty at 223-8482 or tom.rafferty@bismarcktribune.com)