Darrin Smith’s batting average lately hasn’t been to good;
The city said Thursday that private investors have backed out of a planned $40 million downtown project that would have included loft apartments, retail and a boutique hotel.
“The hotel and apartment folks have informed us recently that it’s not financially feasible for them to continue,†Sioux Falls Community Development Director Darrin Smith said.
So why in the Hell would we move forward on a $10 million dollar parking ramp without a leasing tenant? Wait until we get an interested party, then build the ramp. Or better yet, don’t build a ramp at all and let private development take care of private development, and tax dollars take care of citizen projects, like maintaining the roads.
Mike and Darrin have this great desire to spend tax money on unneeded projects. The new council is probably going to be working with smoking brakes until the end of Mike’s term.
Stay on the trail Cola your doing a great job.Dont beleive anything the mayor says to.
so what happened to the other proposals the city didn’t pick? why not go back to one of them?
http://www.ksfy.com/home/headlines/City-recommends-development-group-for-major-downtown-Sioux-Falls-project-306979791.html
I used to Think Smith had it together I guess i have made a mistake on that one.
A single-use parking garage, across the street from a single-use parking garage, in an area with some of the best views of the river greenway, and one-block off the street with the most pedestrian traffic in all of downtown.
What a total, absolute waste. The forethought of these clowns is mind-blowing. I didn’t even think the now-failed project was that great, but at least it was some type of modern-day progress in the city core. This neutered version is infuriatingly blind to anything beyond 5 years.
But then again, we now have a cheap, tuna can arena, located in a concrete wasteland, that’s driven the mighty building boom of a redneck haven and a gas station, so this makes plenty of sense, I guess.
Oh well. Add another 20 years, to the already 50 years we’re behind other metros.
Thanks Huether.
“The new council is probably going to be working with smoking brakes until the end of Mike’s term.”
PRICELESS metaphor. May I use that?!!
Funny.
Smith having to deal with people that when things don’t go their way they up and quit in the middle of a commitment.
Can’t help but think all the shenanigans with Washington Square and their TIF was this Administration running interference for the Bender/Crane group to get out in front with their project.
For some reason, Talking Heads “Road to Nowhere” comes to mind!
Everything about Garfunkle (Smith) is parking. He tore down the ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ (parking over the river). It was a good space that wasn’t needed. Neither is more parking for nothing going on downtown. Are there meetings for those with parking disease?