The Future of Downtown Development - What's Next?

With the event center decision behind us, we can now look forward to the mayor's previously stated commitment to Downtown Sioux Falls with hopefully the same energy put forth in his event center campaign. The question is: What's Next, Mayor, for Downtown Sioux Falls?

The city's official website under the Community Development Department says this about Downtown Sioux Falls:

Downtown is the City’s center for business, finance, government, arts, culture, and historic architecture, offering a richly diverse range of dining, shopping, lodging, housing, education and entertainment opportunities. A prosperous, safe, attractive, well-maintained destination with easy access and convenient parking, downtown Sioux Falls is an especially inviting place to live, work and play.

 

 

Downtown is the heart of Sioux Falls, serving as the main element defining the City’s image. The number of jobs downtown are expanding, making it one of the city’s largest employment centers. New residential units are being added and are among the most sought-after housing in Sioux Falls. Downtown continues to serve as the governmental, business, and financial center of the city, and these roles continue to grow.

 

 

Continuing to thrive and prosper, Downtown is seeing new buildings constructed, underutilized properties redeveloped and historic buildings rehabilitated due, in part to the City of Sioux Falls offering incentives that effectively stimulate private reinvestment and ensure development is competitive to that of other areas within the city.

 

 

Due to its unique heritage, historic architecture and great diversity of culture, social, art, entertainment and educational opportunities, downtown is a popular destination for both residents and visitors alike. Parking is convenient and available, bike and pedestrian circulation is expanding, and the hub of the public transit system maintains its central location – all downtown.

 

 

Abundant parks, landscaping, continued integration with the Big Sioux River and Falls Park and the special consideration that developers give to utilizing quality materials and attractive building design all create a visually stimulating and aesthetically pleasing downtown. Additionally, investment and care are being devoted to maintaining and increasing sidewalks, streetscaping, outdoor art, and public spaces.

 

 

Downtown is increasingly known as a center of fun, festivals, activity and excitement, with a reputation as the place where something wonderful is always happening. It is the place to go to enjoy arts, culture and major performances.

Back in 2001, the City Council, by resolution, established an 11 member Downtown Plan Taskforce. The Taskforce was charged with the responsibility of preparing a long-range plan for the future growth and & development of the central business district.

Eleven citizens were appointed to the 2015 Downtown Plan Taskforce in early 2002. The eleven citizens were:

• Jake Anderson
• Paul Boerboom
• Tom Bosch
• Pam Breidenbach
• Julie Choudek
• Cathy Clark
• Dick Dempster
• James Echols
• Craig Hagen
• Susan Hainje Hauff
• Marv Looby

Interesting to note - Darrin Smith, the current Director of Community Development/Public Parking Facilities was a member of that City Council at the time this taskforce was created.

This taskforce worked with the City Planning Department and the City Planning Commission and liaisons with the Minnehaha County Planning Director and the Executive Director of Main Street Sioux Falls. The result of their work was the Sioux Falls 2015 Downtown Plan. This plan needs updating. A new taskforce needs to be appointed to keep Downtown moving forward.

There are many things that have been accomplished since this plan was completed. There is much more to be done in terms of vision for the future, such as:

• River Greenway Corridor
• Public Parking Ramps ( first one to replace the River Ramp demolition)
• Eastbank Redevelopment (east bank of the Big Sioux River between East 6th and East 10th Streets extending eastward to Weber Ave - an area of more than 45 acres.)
• Northend Redevelopment (land adjoining both sides of North Main Avenue and extending eastward to include properties that front Phillips to the Falls extension of Phillips Avenue from 5th Street to about 1st Street.)
• Southeast Redevelopment (Part of this area is within the established central business district while the rest lies just outside the current downtown boundaries - generally located between 11th & 14 Streets and between First and Third Avenues.)
• Railroad Relocation
• Uptown Project
• Possible amphitheater

It's time for the mayor and city council to appoint a new downtown plan taskforce to complete the plan and vision for the Sioux Falls Downtown area. There are many leaders/citizens in the community who joined the Build It Downtown campaign in the early stages of the event center debate who would be more than willing to serve on a new Downtown Plan Task Force. The mayor could go a long way in reaching out to this group whose underlying philosophy is that a strong downtown makes the entire city of Sioux Falls healthy.  

After all, as the city's own website says, Downtown is the heart of Sioux Falls, serving as the main element defining the city's image.

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.