The city of Fosston prides itself on being a progressive community dedicated to continuous improvement for residents and visitors alike. Each year, they undertake new projects to enhance and safeguard the community. Over time, Karvakko has become a vital part of their team.

The long list of projects started in 2014 with Karvakko’s winning bid to create a long-term master plan for the Veterans Community Park. Services included landscape architecture inventory and analysis, concept design, public engagement, and the final master plan.

Completion of that project led the city to bring Karvakko its other city improvement projects, including:

• A hockey rink and warming house in 2016 for which Karvakko provided full design, bidding, and construction administration services. They also helped the city secure grant funding.
• Design and construction management for multiple bike trail segments over a several-year period.
• ADA and walkway improvements to the public library
• Preliminary engineering and grant assistance for an expansion to the industrial park
• Design, bidding and construction administration for new outdoor pickleball court facility
• Conceptual design for boardwalk improvements
• Concept and layout designs for various parks, school parking lots, and misc. public amenities
• City street and utility projects:
  • TH-2 revitalization for which Karvakko provided a two-year pedestrian safety analysis and recommended long-term improvements and a proposal to convert the highway from four lanes to three, along with additional safety measures.
  • Karvakko managed construction administration for a $1.2 million street project on Johnson Ave.
  • Rehabilitation of two cul-de-sacs in Omland Court for which Karvakko provided full engineering, bidding, and construction services.

Bemidji Regional Airport (BJI) is a key hub for both commercial and general aviation, contributing about $58 million to the community. However, its main runway, Runway 13/31, was deteriorating rapidly due to increased aircraft size and traffic.  

This put BJI’s ability to provide safe, reliable service at risk, especially since any repair work would require closing a main intersecting runway. The airport authority needed expert help to find the best solution. 

Karvakko Engineering stepped in to tackle the runway issue head-on. They carried out detailed geotechnical investigations to identify the problems and future-proof the runway. They also helped BJI secure nearly $6 million in funding from the FAA and MnDOT Aeronautics. 

In 2023, Karvakko helped BJI complete the design phase and managed a successful bidding process, securing competitive and under-budget bids. Construction kicked off later that year.