An effort led by the city to bring a new Riverline District to downtown Sioux Falls has already gained traction through collaboration, city leaders say.
During his annual State of the City address, Mayor Paul TenHaken presented results of a preliminary survey offered to Sioux Falls residents concerning what they want built in the new district.
TenHaken said the most-debated topic is bringing a stadium to downtown.
“The thought of putting a stadium at the Riverline District is being met with the hottest of hots and the coldest of colds," TenHaken said. "It’s a polarizing topic, it appears to be, so we are looking at that very closely to figure out if we put a stadium in our downtown, does it create that mixed-use development? Does it energize downtown? Does it bring the sales tax that we would need to pay for an investment like that? Green space is great, but it doesn’t bring any revenue. So, what’s the balance between green space, stadium and mixed-use?”
TenHaken said people want a ‘district’ that offers multiple activities - including restaurant and bar options.
The proposed Riverline District covers nine connected acres and does not require demolition or relocation of any housing or businesses.
Lynne Keller Forbes is the co-chair of the Friends of the Riverline District. She said the project is in its preliminary stages, leaving time for more public input.
“We’ve asked on several different occasions for input and we are going to continue to ask for input. We’ve done that through surveys and we’ve done that through small group studies, I believe there will be some neighborhood meetings going forward and you will have some opportunities as a public to continue to provide your input as well,” said Forbes.
Efforts for future collaborations are still in the works while the Friends of the Riverline District continue to seek sponsors and donors for the project.
The city can purchase the land for the district by 2024 but have not yet raised all the funding necessary for the purchase.
