Monday, July 18, 2011

River Greenway Project

There has been kind of an evolution regarding the River Greenway project over the last 3 capital improvement programs. The CIP River Greenway Project  incorporates the vision outlined in the 2004 Greenway & Riverfront Master Plan.  

This Master Plan is an interesting read and clearly set out a greenway vision for the entire city back in 2004. The plan broke out various zones, with the Downtown Riverfront identified as Zone 1. Two concepts were identified, with Concept A including an event center, along with retail and hotel/residential uses. Concept B identified uses without an event center.

Two public open houses were held and the top ten list of uses were identified for Zone 1:
  • Riverside Dining
  • Pedestrian River Crossings
  • Amphitheater
  • Downtown Riverwalk
  • Integrated Sculpture
  • Attractive Bridge Treatment
  • Outdoor Market
  • Bike Trails
  • Entertainment Arena
  • Urban River

It is interesting to take a look at this project and the project description in the past three capital improvement programs. Below is the project information copied directly from the the last three 5 year CIP plans:

 
10/07/09 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM 2010 - 2014

CITY PROJECT NUMBER: 189064 DEPARTMENT: 64- PARK/RECREATION
DEPARTMENT PROJECT PRIORITY: 3
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
DEMO EXISTING RR BRIDGE AND BUILD PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE OVER BSR, GREENWAY
IMPROVEMENTS, DESIGN & CONSTRUCT (10); STATION POINT, DESIGN (10,12)
CONSTRUCTION (10,12) OF=DONATED FUNDS
TOTAL 5 YEAR PROJECT COST: $2,584,480
PROJECT TITLE: RIVER GREENWAY IMPROVEMENTS
PROJECT JUSTIFICATION AND RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PROJECTS:
The City Council approved a resolution that allowed the Mayor to enter into an agreement with Zip City Partners LLC that gives the City an option to purchase property on the old Zip Feed Mill site for the construction of an events center. As a consideration, the City agreed to make improvements on City owned property adjacent to the Zip City Partners property and construct a pedestrian bridge connecting the east and west banks of the Big Sioux River. This project follows the conditions of the agreement and encorporates the visions of the adopted Sioux Falls Greenway and Riverfront Master Plan. The master plan also identified a need for shaded rest areas along the recreational trail. These station points would also provide way finding information, mile markers, drinking fountains, and related amenities.

 ($2.1 million in engineering and construction costs funded by bond funds was programmed in 2010, along with $49,680 in sales tax funds for engineering and construction costs.)


6/25/10 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM 2011 - 2015
CITY PROJECT NUMBER: 189064 DEPARTMENT: 64- PARK/RECREATION
DEPARTMENT PROJECT PRIORITY: 36
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
GREENWAY IMPROVEMENTS, FALLS PARK TO 6TH STREET, DESIGN & CONSTRUCT (11);
STATION POINT, DESIGN & CONSTRUCT (14) OF = BIG SIOUX ENVIRONMENTAL FUND (11)
OF = DONATIONS (14)
TOTAL 5 YEAR PROJECT COST: $1,908,936
PROJECT TITLE: RIVER GREENWAY IMPROVEMENTS
PROJECT JUSTIFICATION AND RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PROJECTS:
The adopted Sioux Falls Greenway and Riverfront Master Plan outlined
improvements the public wanted to see along the Big Sioux River Greenway. This project will construct those improvements on the east bank of the Big Sioux River from Falls Park to 6th Street. These improvements consist of seat walls, a bump out into the River, widening the bike trail, lighting, ramps down into the greenway from 6th Street and various landscape improvements. These improvements will clean up the greenway corridor, provide better access to the river, and use the river as an amenity to draw people downtown. This project will use the Big Sioux Environmental Fund to fund construction. The master plan also identified a need for shaded rest areas along the recreational trail. These station points would also provide way finding information, mile markers, drinking fountains, and related amenities.


($1.8 million funded with "other financing" was programmed for 2011 and $43,560 was programmed in 2014 using "other financing" and sales tax funds.)


6/22/11 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM 2012 - 2016
CITY PROJECT NUMBER: 189064 DEPARTMENT: 64- PARK/RECREATION
DEPARTMENT PROJECT PRIORITY: 1
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
GREENWAY IMPROVEMENTS, 8TH STREET TO 10TH STREET PHASE 2a, CONSTRUCT (12)
TOTAL 5 YEAR PROJECT COST: $1,064,260
PROJECT TITLE: RIVER GREENWAY IMPROVEMENTS
PROJECT JUSTIFICATION AND RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PROJECTS:
The adopted Sioux Falls Greenway and Riverfront Master Plan outlined
improvements the public wanted to see along the Big Sioux River Greenway.
Phase 2a will begin construction from 8th Street south to approximately the
River Ramp. Improvements will consist of concrete river walls, stepped edges
into the river, accessible ramps from 8th Street and the railroad bridge, the
possible replacement of the exisiting railroad bridge, widened bike trails,
lighting and landscaping improvements. These improvements will clean up the
downtown greenway corridor, improve water quality, provide better access to
the river, and use the river as an ammenity to draw people downtown. The
river greenway improvements project has spurred private redevelopment
downtown, and will continue to do so in the future. A downtown TIF is being
evaluated and may provide funding to supplement the city's sales tax
investment in the greenway. If TIF becomes available, the department will
look to amend the CIP and continue the greenway improvements along the CNA
Surety redevelopment site and other redevelopments as applicable.

(The only money programmed for this project is in plan year 2012 and the $1,064,260 is for construction using sales tax.)


Master plans are important to the future vision of any city. They become living documents, a road map, for city and elected officials. It appears elected officials and city officials don't refer back to adopted master plans as they set their own agendas.

City officials change; elected officials rotate in and out every four to eight years. Continuity in planned vision is supposed to happen with master plans but who knows if that actually occurs when elected officials come in with their own pre-conceived notions regarding their "vision" for a city.

2004 was a long time ago and things evolve, no doubt about it.  Funding of this project seems to be evolving plan year to plan year.You be the judge on where you think this project is going and if this project is being completed as envisioned back in 2004.



10 comments:

  1. 5.1 million was originally funded for phase I, 6th street to 8th street. 3 million was the original funding needed for phase II, 1.9 million in the Morrell "environmental money and 1.1 million from the City Capital Program. Why they need that 1.9 million of ENVIRONMENTAL money now, before phase II begins is anybodies guess.

    Polly Amalo

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  2. Absolute non-sense. This plan is going in a much different direction than what it should be going. Back in 2004, the plan was for an Events Center, major shopping facilities, and major development along the Big Sioux to happen all at the same time, or around the same time as a new Events Center were to be built near the River.

    Huether has a mind of his own. Our City Government is looking like Deer in headlights under his reign.

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  3. Great post Jen...very frustrating. Unlike the current EC plan, there was an actual vision for the Greenway project. A vision that was developed after a lot thought and practical application, including trips to San Antonio to study their Riverwalk. Sioux Falls has an opportunity to take advantage of something few cities have to offer - a river running through the heart of downtown.

    BUT our current administration obviously has other plans. Plans so exciting that we apparently can't even comprehend them. It's very sad to see Sioux Falls trying to get by on "the cheap" with what is a relatively inexpensive project that will greatly improve the city.

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  4. The mayor says he doesn't like forecasting anything out beyond six months. So what does that tell you about this man? He is dismantling every plan previously in place. Darrin Smith now in charge of development instead of planning department. It's all a cruel joke on the Ciry of Sioux falls.

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  5. Wow! We are all so freaking surprised this project has become a mess. While I expect the uninformed public to act surprised, those of you in the know of city business should have known how this project would turn out. When Mike Cooper was asked at the city council meeting how he would spend the $5 million dollars (that they were bonding) He had no details. That right there should have told us how this would roll out. Also, it is important to point out that this whole kit and kaboodle was cooked up in a closed door meeting between mayor Munson and the owner of Cherapa (there was an anticipation that the EC was going to be built at that site.) We can go round and round about how messed up this has become, but it should have never been approved in the first place. It amazes that the council will debate whether or not to give a couple of grand to the Gloryhouse (A place that helps transition ex-cons) but has no problem approving a $5 million dollar project with no clear vision. Looks like another Phillips to the Falls folly.

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  6. Yea Cola, let's funnel money to help ex-convicts instead of using it to improve our city or give pay raises to the police who put the idiots behind bars in the first place.

    The whole "kit and kaboddle" was not cooked up in closed door meeting between two individuals, it was put together by a group of citizens with an actual vision and plan to improve the downtown. Too bad the subsequent administration can't follow through. Feel free to cook up more garbage from underneath the tin foil.

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  7. Yeah, you are right, maybe we should just let ex-cons transition on their own, W/O supervision, that seems to be working so well . . .

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  8. Huethers fault? Munsons fault? I don't really care. All I know is we have a 5.1 million dollar project from 6th to 8th street that is not going according to plan. We have a 3 million dollar project from 8th to 10th street with yet another pedestrian bridge that is in limbo. Yet to be determined is how many million will be spent in phase III and IV from 10th street to Fawick Park and 6th street to Falls Park. Phase I is being touted as on target? Originally scheduled to be complete in August? Now October? The pedestrian bridge originally scheduled to be laid in place the week of March 24th? Now, the latest guesstimate at least 7 weeks from today? Environmental money originally scheduled for phase II now magically included in Phase I? Trust me, this River Greenway Project is in over it's head.

    Come October 8th though, phase I will be declared done, never mind whether it is or not. Keep in mind what was promised for 5.1 million and what we're gonna end up with, even with the inclusion of the 1.9 million in ENVIRONMENTAL money.

    And ALL of this because the city got their cart in front of the horse thinking a DT EC was a slam dunk in '04?

    This thing, more than most any city venture in the past decade really needs to be audited.

    Polly Amalo

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  9. Poly - Who is going to audit this? Maybe you and me? I have a Dowsing rod, a Magic 8-Ball and a calculator. What are you going to bring to the table? Maybe Munson and a poly-graph machine?

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  10. Maybe Munson and a poly-graph machine?
    ~~~~~

    How we gonna do that Scott. Remember, you, me, Theresa, and Kermit are all the same person, just different usernames. And while we're at it maybe we can bring along mikey with his EC cookie jar. Remember tho, at least on this site, Munson good, huether bad. Anything else and yer just another guy wearing a tin-foil hat. And for questioning how our tax dollars are being squandered away? Amazing!

    Your latest blog entry on how the city will in the future handle contracts is at least a step in the right direction.

    I wonder why the change? Hmmmmmmmm

    Polly Amalo

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