Veterans Day. Take a moment to thank our citizens who served. Especially those who did several tours in the middle east. Sorry, off topic but had to say this.
Strangely enough, DT Sioux Falls was built in an era without mega-developers. Many of the beloved buildings along Phillips Avenue were built by private citizens on small lots, without a zoning code, TIFs, or RFPs.
I'm so glad we've abandoned those outdated concepts and adopted the much more efficient development pattern of today.
The clean up of Falls Park and downtown Sioux Falls started with Mrs. Hazel O’Connor in the 1960’s. Unfortunately, the leaders of the day were not so cooperative. Her husband, Joe, owned a business downtown and was acutely aware of the direction DT Sioux Falls was going. The city leaders wouldn’t listen and were more intent on leveling everything. They wanted what other big cities had which was one of those in-door shopping malls that only expedited the demise for DT.
She was one of the first to start cleaning up the north end of downtown leading to Falls Park. Mrs. O’Connor is the reason the Old Court House and Police Station are still standing and instrumental in the turn around of Falls Park from what it was. Another one of her projects was two multi-storied houses on 14th and Philips but she lost that one. City leaders thought it better to level the houses and build an insurance office. The old houses were boarding houses where the likes of Calamity Jane, Wild Bill Hickok and others of their day stayed when they were in Sioux Falls.
It should be Hazel O’Connor’s picture on the entrance to Falls Park. She had the vision for DT Sioux Falls going to Falls Park and the intestinal fortitude to stand up against the bulldozers.
Veterans Day. Take a moment to thank our citizens who served. Especially those who did several tours in the middle east. Sorry, off topic but had to say this.
According to Huether, he alone built Sioux Falls. I’m tired of his arrogance. His sponsors have kept him quiet lately.
Strangely enough, DT Sioux Falls was built in an era without mega-developers. Many of the beloved buildings along Phillips Avenue were built by private citizens on small lots, without a zoning code, TIFs, or RFPs.
I'm so glad we've abandoned those outdated concepts and adopted the much more efficient development pattern of today.That was my poor attempt at sarcasm font – oops.
Tom, because you know, we are using 1983 zoning laws right now.
That was also sarcasm.
The clean up of Falls Park and downtown Sioux Falls started with Mrs. Hazel O’Connor in the 1960’s. Unfortunately, the leaders of the day were not so cooperative. Her husband, Joe, owned a business downtown and was acutely aware of the direction DT Sioux Falls was going. The city leaders wouldn’t listen and were more intent on leveling everything. They wanted what other big cities had which was one of those in-door shopping malls that only expedited the demise for DT.
She was one of the first to start cleaning up the north end of downtown leading to Falls Park. Mrs. O’Connor is the reason the Old Court House and Police Station are still standing and instrumental in the turn around of Falls Park from what it was. Another one of her projects was two multi-storied houses on 14th and Philips but she lost that one. City leaders thought it better to level the houses and build an insurance office. The old houses were boarding houses where the likes of Calamity Jane, Wild Bill Hickok and others of their day stayed when they were in Sioux Falls.
It should be Hazel O’Connor’s picture on the entrance to Falls Park. She had the vision for DT Sioux Falls going to Falls Park and the intestinal fortitude to stand up against the bulldozers.
Jace, I would agree, Munson’s mug to the entrance of Falls Park chides me.