FARGO-Groundbreaking for the downtown Block 9 tower and plaza project is once again being pushed back.

Adrienne Olson, spokesperson for Kilbourne Group, said the developers don't yet have a start date but will give the public six to eight weeks' notice before breaking ground on the 18-story building on Broadway between Second and Third avenues north.

"It will not be a surprise," Olson said.

The timeline pushes the start date for the $98 million hotel, business and condominium project out to at least mid- to late September. Originally, developers aimed for a fall 2016 groundbreaking. That was moved back to early spring 2017 and then late July.

Block 9 developers include RDO Equipment Co., TMI Hospitality and Kilbourne Group, the firm founded by North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

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Olson said Kilbourne has taken calls from downtown businesses, concerned about how Block 9 construction will affect them and wondering why they haven't heard anything.

She said they're working on numerous construction contracts and won't break ground until they're all signed.

"We have dozens of people working on this every day," Olson said.

Kilbourne is also planning a celebratory block party at the site around the time ground is broken.

One other new element involves the possibility of neighbor Prairie Public TV and radio placing its microwave equipment on top of the Block 9 building.

In early April came word the Block 9 project would obstruct the radio and TV signal that nearby Prairie Public sends to a transmission tower in Wheatland, N.D., for statewide broadcast.

Previously, developers said they weren't interested in having that equipment atop Block 9, so Prairie Public was exploring other options. However, Prairie Public President and CEO John Harris said the developer recently became open to the idea.

"Once they break ground, we have about nine months before the height would cause a problem for us," Harris said.

In addition to looking at the size of Prairie Public's antennas and how to incorporate them into the building design, Olson said Kilbourne has initiated a study of any impacts the equipment's microwave signal would have on people living in Block 9.

The upper floors of the building will be made up of condos for sale.

"MIcrowave safety would be a top priority for the people that would be living there," Olson said.

The hotel portion of the project is also up in the air at this point; however, Olson said TMI is still very much a part of that planning.

"We still want a European, boutique-style hotel, but just haven't determined the flag it'll fly," Olson said.