Sioux Falls | Development

[sodak]

The Census has just released the July 2009 population estimates. The city of Sioux Falls is now estimated to be at 157,935, an increase of 2,924, or 1.89 percent, from the last Census estimate [July 2008].
These latest numbers continue to show Sioux Falls’ steady growth pattern. While some communities have lost population and others have large increases, Sioux Falls has increased an average of 2.58 percent over the last nine years, with the highest increase being 3.49 percent and the lowest being 1.89 percent.
Sioux Falls will look next toward the release of the decennial census figures for April 2010. The April 2000 population for Sioux Falls was 123,975; therefore, Sioux Falls has already increased by 33,960 people. This is a 27.39 percent increase, while previous decennial increases were 23.13 percent between 1990 and 2000 and 23.96 percent between 1980 and 1990.

[sodak]

Some other numbers:

Brandon: 8,120 up 2,474 from 2000.
Harrisburg: 5,412 up 4,454 from 2000.
Tea: 4,625 up 2,883 from 2000.

To be honest, this is pretty good growth, but for some reason I feel like the Census may be overestimating where we are by a fraction, as opposed to the Fargo guys who think they are underestimated.

I guess we'll both know in December when the official numbers come out.

[Dariusb]

That's great how Sioux Falls is growing. Does anyone know where a lot of the newcomers are from?

[sodak]

Originally Posted by Dariusb

That's great how Sioux Falls is growing. Does anyone know where a lot of the newcomers are from?

In the past, they've said it was divided into thirds, i.e., 1/3 came from the immediate 100 mile area, 1/3 came from the rest of the adjacent states, and the last third came from the rest of the US or internationally.

That is just the new comers. I think I've also heard that 1/2 of the population growth is due to natural increase.

[nden99]

Does anyone know anything about new airlines coming to Sioux Falls?

[Justin_144]

They are trying to get Frontier to come in

[nden99]

that sounds like a good airline, im sure they will fly to Denver, but maybe Milwaukee also

[Wolfmanfromsufu]

Does anyone have any details on the planned Splash Resort and conference center? I keep hearing ads for it, but you can't get any details unless you become a member or at least ask to be contacted by them. The only thing I know about it is that it's part of that Redstone development planned near I29/I90. Any idea when they actually plan to start building it or any sight plans or visuals?

Haven't they been trying to get Frontier for a long time now?

[theserge]

New Office Building, Development Plans For SF
Published: July 13, 2010, 5:31 PM

SIOUX FALLS, SD - In an effort to expand, go green and spark development, a Sioux Falls business announced plans on Tuesday to build a new four-story office building downtown.

CNA Surety is taking over the Schoeneman's Building Materials site, which has been on East 8th Street for nearly a century. But along with a changing skyline, the mayor says the business will bring opportunities for economic expansion.

"Right across the way, there's vacant store fronts in downtown Sioux Falls that will no longer be vacant because of the investment that CNA and Lloyd Companies have made today," Mayor Mike Huether said.
Aside from office space, the building will have a fitness center, rooftop deck and landscaped greenway to the river. The project is scheduled to break ground this fall and be done in the Spring of 2012.

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...7140306&Ref=V1
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...7140306&Ref=V2

[theserge]

It’s back to the future for some quick-service restaurants.

Three Z’Kota Grille restaurants in Sioux Falls and one in Brookings are going to be turned back into Hardee’s outlets.

Eight years ago, then-owner Scott Fritz converted his four Hardee’s franchised stores to Z’Kota Grille, his own startup brand.

Recently, a Wisconsin-based Hardee’s franchisee purchased the four area restaurants. The company owns other Hardee’s in a five-state region, including one in Mitchell.

The three Sioux Falls restaurants are on South Minnesota Avenue, East 10th Street and West 12th Street. The Brookings outlet is on Sixth Street, one of the primary business strips there.

“They will be converted, over time, back to Hardee’s,” said Jeff Green of Signature Cos., who represents the buyer group.

“Hardee’s has wanted to be back in this market for quite some time,” he said.

Some remodeling and updates will be made at the restaurants before they become Hardee’s again, but there is no timeline yet for the work.

“It’s probably going to be sooner rather than later,” Green said.

Hardee’s is affiliated with CKE Restaurants Inc., a California-based company that, through subsidiaries, has 1,915 Hardee’s and 1,205 Carl’s Jr. restaurants.


Positive Sign

A construction trailer has been parked at the site of the future Kohl’s in eastern Sioux Falls, and half the department store’s parking lot has been fenced off temporarily.
Construction workers also have arrived in town.

“They expect to start and get going fairly quickly,” said Craig Lloyd, CEO of Lloyd Cos., which is helping develop Dawley Farm Village. “We’re real excited.”

Kohl’s Department Stores Inc. hasn’t even officially announced plans for a second Sioux Falls store yet. But a building permit for the project was issued several months ago. The store will be built slightly north of the new Target.

The estimated building value of the coming Kohl’s is $3.2 million, according to city records. That’s big enough to rank it among the 10 largest projects permitted so far this year in Sioux.

Work is about to begin on another east-side project, too.

Among the coming projects is construction of a Get-N-Go convenience store at 5400 E. Arrowhead Parkway, near Menards. Work on the C-store, which will include rental space, is ready to begin, said Rich Leafstedt, president of Golden Rule Construction Co. Inc.

It will be Olson Oil Co.’s 16th Get-N-Go in Sioux Falls and 19th overall. The company also has outlets in Tea, Hartford and Parker.

[theserge]

Hey Everyone. Please sign this petition to get the events center built downtown!!!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/builditdowntown/

[Brian77]

FORBES.COM

America's Best Small Cities For Business And Careers
Kurt Badenhausen, 09.13.10, 06:15 PM EDT

At a time of economic hardship, these areas offer the best business climates and strong employment prospects.
Big companies love big cities. Forty-three members of the S&P 500 claim New York for their corporate headquarters. Houston is the corporate home for 22 companies. Atlanta and Dallas-Forth Worth both have 11 while Chicago maintains nine. These cities provide a surplus of educated labor, easy access to other big companies, transportation hubs and a myriad of cultural opportunities.
Yet many of the biggest U.S. cities also share other, not-so-great characteristics like bloated business costs including pricey office space and high taxes. They have heavy public pension obligations, long commutes and as a result, an outward migration of workers looking for an easier, less expensive place to make a living. Companies have to think twice before opening a new office in a New York or Los Angeles. Throw in the explosion of broadband over the past decade connecting people around the globe and small cities look more attractive than ever.
Our look at the best small American cities for business and careers is chock full of locales between the two coasts that offer low business costs and strong employment prospects. Leading the way for a seventh straight year is Sioux Falls, S.D. Credit business costs that are 26% below the national average, low crime rates and an economy that is expected to expand 4.1% annually over the next five years. Another enticement: South Dakota does not levy individual or corporate income taxes.
Sioux Falls is the only city that scores in the top 25 in at least eight of the 12 categories that we considered as part of the ranking. The Sioux Falls metro area was the fastest growing metro in the Midwest over the past 10 years with 30% growth and its population now stands at 238,100. In fact it seems the only thing that will knock Sioux Falls off its perch is if it graduates to our list of the Best Places for Business and Careers that looks at the 200 largest metro areas (minimum population of 245,000). The gross metro product for the Sioux Falls metro is $10.9 billion which is the largest of any of the small metros we examined.
Unemployment in Sioux Falls has doubled over the past three years, but at 4.3% it is still one of the lowest in the country. Mike Cooper, Director of Planning and Building Services, says that in recent years when employment was hovering just over 2% some employers had trouble filling jobs because unemployment was so low.
Two companies that have been able to find employees and have taken advantage of Sioux Falls' favorable business climate are Citigroup and Wells Fargo. They are among the area's largest employers and have helped fuel Sioux Falls' growth over the past decade. The two largest employers in the area are health care providers Sanford Health and Avera. "Once people come here and see what's available, they are usually very impressed with what we have to offer as a community," says Cooper.
We determined the best small cities for business and careers by looking at metropolitan statistical areas with populations under 245,000. There are 184 in total. We considered 12 factors including costs (both living and business), job growth (past and projected), income growth, educational attainment and projected economic growth. Other factors included quality of life issues like crime, cultural and recreational opportunities and migration trends. Finally we considered subprime mortgages and the presence of highly ranked colleges in an area per our annual college rankings.
We leaned heavily on research firm Moody's Economy.com for much of the data. Other info came from the FBI (crime) and Census (educational attainment). Demographer Bert Sperling catalogued the culture and recreational activities in each area for Forbes.
And though Manhattan, Kansas, Bismarck, N.D., and Logan, Utah round out the top five cities on our list, Iowa was the clear standout in the ranking with five metros in the top 20 including Iowa City, which ranked No. 2 (Des Moines nabbed the top spot on out the list of bigger metros). Other leading Iowa metros include No. 13 Waterloo, No. 14 Sioux City, No. 15 Dubuque and No. 17 Ames. They share some similar characteristics like business costs at least 16% below the national average and crime rates that fare at least 16% lower. These metros are all home to top-ranked colleges that churn out a steady crop of highly educated labor. Employment in Dubuque is expected to increase 4.2% annually over the next three years, better than any other metro area (big or small) in the country.
Iowa City's strong showing can be traced to its well-educated labor force. It is home to the University of Iowa and 47% of adults have a college degree, which is third-highest among small metros. The area also skirted the housing crash. Only 4.4% of mortgages originated in the Iowa City metro between 2006 and 2008 were considered subprime which was second lowest in the entire country.
Venture capital firms are starting to take note of Iowa as well. VC investment was up 50% in 2009 in Iowa to $84 million while overall venture capital investment was down 35% according to the annual MoneyTree survey from PricewaterhouseCooopers and the National Venture Capital Association.

[Boomer]

Group planning "Build it Downtown" effort for the Events Center.
First meeting on Tuesday night.
Check it out on Facebook. Search "Sioux Falls DOWNTOWN Events Center."
It's about time

[Brian77]

From the Argus Leader

A hotel, a conference center and an upscale restaurant and condos all are part of the vision that one Sioux Falls businessman has for land along the east bank of the Big Sioux River where the River Ramp now sits.
The city took steps to make such a development possible Thursday with the announcement that it will be requesting proposals to develop about 67,000 square feet of land along the east bank that includes the River Ramp. If one is approved, the ramp could be torn down as soon as this winter, city officials said during a news conference Thursday.
"It's something I know we've been talking about for a long time," said Darrin Smith, director of community development for the city. "It should be a symbol of the aggressive approach we'll be taking for economic development downtown."

The almost 50-year-old ramp, which sits over the Big Sioux River, long has been considered a deterrent for new development along the east bank. Erica Beck, community development manager, said they've already had a lot of interest from developers.
Beck said they envision a mixed-use, multistory building that will take advantage of the greenway and views along the river. Mayor Mike Huether said the opportunities are endless and could include a hotel, residential uses or a multilevel shopping center.
Conference center
David Sweet, CEO of Ramkota Cos., in the past has expressed interest in building a hotel on the adjoining Schoeneman's Building Materials site but has said the project wasn't possible unless the ramp was torn down.
Now the city's announcement means Sweet and his team hope to submit a proposal. It probably would include both the city land and the remaining space available on the Schoeneman's site.
"We've met with designers today to talk about how we might do something," Sweet said Thursday afternoon.
Plans still are in the works but could include an upscale restaurant and conference center that Sweet hopes will open up to an outdoor deck area along the Big Sioux River. Besides a hotel, which would include underground parking, he's also working with Larry and Barbara Rehfeld to possibly develop upscale condos on the top floors of the building.
Condo project
The Rehfelds, owners of Rehfeld's Art and Framing, had discussed a possible downtown condo project with Sweet a few years back, but the land never became available.
Larry Rehfeld said many people are interested in living downtown but want to be owners not renters.

Huether emphasized that the project needs good proposals to move forward. If a project is approved, Smith said the ramp probably would be torn down during colder months when the water level is lower. That would take three to four months with an estimated cost of about $750,000. Who would pay for the cost remains to be seen, but Beck said the issue should be addressed after the city receives proposals.
The idea of tearing down the ramp has been discussed for years, and Huether said a number of studies have been done about different alternatives. He also said that this is a sign of things to come for downtown in the next few years.
"We want to not only take advantage of this opportunity, we want to take advantage of other opportunities," Huether continued. "It's been called an eyesore for years. It has served its purpose."
A new project along the river would add to a number of things already in progress downtown. Earlier this year, CNA Surety announced it would be moving to a new building near the River Ramp on the Schoeneman's land. On Monday, the city also will begin the first phase of greenway improvements between Sixth and Eighth streets on Monday.
Jeff Scherschligt, one of the developers of Cherapa Place north of the River Ramp, is happy with the improvements in the area.
"Look at all these pieces that are coming together. This is progress," he said.
****************************************

Any of you think someone will put a 'tall' building in the area? I know the economy is depressed right now, but its rebounding. As Sioux Falls reaches a quarter million for the MSA, I for one would love for our downtown to get a little more height to it, so we can begin to look more like a city. 5-7 story buildings are fine, but how about a 12 to 15 or even 20 floors? What is the height limit we have with proximity to the Airport??
I also agree that downtown would be a good place for the Events Center.

In west side news: I read the Marion Road Interchange on I-90 is opening this Saturday.

[csandste]

I've asked this before, but I've flown into Sioux Falls over down town, and I've flown into San Diego-- and for the life of me, I can't figure out why ther'd be any problem with a 20 story building. Can someone explain?

[Wolfmanfromsufu]

There unfortunately seems to be no interest among developers.

[nden99]

does anyone know anything about the nonstop flight from Sioux Falls to Atlanta that only operated for about a month?

[Brian77]

With this new casino opening just across the border in IA, are there any thoughts on what the possibility may be of Lyon Co becoming part of the Sioux Falls MSA? My understanding was that the Feds use commuting patterns and numbers as a key component in determining MSA's...
I would think that with the hundreds of people that this facility will be employing, that there will be a fair amount from Sioux Falls. Lyon county has at least 10,000 people in it if I recall. This would be a nice boost to our MSA numbers...

[SmileyBoy]

I just saw the new Census 2010 data on SD counties. In the SF 4-county metro, the population went up to over 228,000 for the 2010 census. I think that's an increase of close to 50,000 in a decade. Congratulations on your growth!! Hopefully F-M will breach 210,000 in the census number like I'm hearing some people say.

Big advantage for you is that you have a 4-county metro with smaller area counties, and F-M only has two, big-area counties. I think they recently split up the data categories for F-M into MSA and CMSA (which includes Richland and Wilkin counties), while SF only has one metro number (4-county MSA) to look at.

[Wolfmanfromsufu]

I'm surprised no one has posted about the airport getting Frontier Airlines.

http://www.argusleader.com/article/2...ll|text|Home|p

Hopefully this helps bring down prices here. One question that bugs me is, they say we don't have enough competition at the airport and we're too close to Omaha. But, there are smaller airports with less airline competition and are closer to major cities that have cheaper airfare.