Mayor TenHaken admitted during the presentation that their really is no plan, except maybe a new convention center and rec center.
He also made this announcement at a public building and chaired the presser, there was NO public notice on the city website for this meeting. While no official action took place, you could technically call it just a presser, but with city money and property being involved, there should have been a public notice.
Like most pie in the sky ideas from this mayor, they lack details and transparency which means they probably won’t make the finish line. The ‘Vision’ that was presented today was sold to the listening public (and kids bussed in from daycare) on the premise we are behind on indoor rec space. While Paul is correct, the city lacks PUBLIC indoor rec space, it certainly probably has more private indoor rec space then any city our size in the country. As Neitzert pointed out there is a gym on every corner. Not to mention every school in this city has tons of indoor rec space.
Maybe the city needs to build a municipal casino to compete with all the video lottery casinos?
While I agree the Convention Center should be downtown, I think the city should move to make the actual convention business private and get out of investing public money in it. (we had an opportunity with the new EC to do this, but when you have a credit card salesman running the town, this is what you get, lost opportunity).
After watching this lackluster presser that reminded me more of an episode of Mr. Rogers neighborhood, I have come to the conclusion that not much is going to happen anytime soon at the Riverline District.
Remember Phillips to the Falls? The city sat on that property, collecting NO taxes for 10 years, then turned around and handed it over to a developer with a TIF to boot.
Remember the indoor pool & all those who said no one would use it because we had Wild Water West?
The only way a CC works is if there’s the ability to have nice hotels around it within a walk or short drive. So it makes sense to move it where the action is.
“…. Maybe the city needs to build a municipal casino to compete with all the video lottery casinos?….”
I think this is a great idea! Imagine the gaming that could go on there. We could have a TIF game that is based on the principles of KENO, where you have to guess what spots the developers are going to develop next. Or, how about rock, paper, scissors games of war where you compete against members of the council, or department heads, where if you win (against a councilperson, for instance) you get to set in that councilperson’s chair during a council meeting, but if you lose, then the zoning and planning department gets to inspect your home without warrant.
I can also imagine a roulette table that slants so the dice favors one side of the table…. the side the house always wins with…. a course…. Or, how about a Wheel of Fortune spinning wheel with categories like “Death by a Jesus plow”, “The city removes most of your shxt found within your home during a ‘Neighborhood Clean-up'”, or “The City declares all of your adjoining property to be on the wrong side of the ‘Red Zone’, so you can’t be helped at all after a weather disaster”…. Better yet, if you win at the Wheel of Fortune, it will be things like, “Free Pass to Taupeville”, “Unlimited bus rides at your demand from midnight until 6am”, “Free tolls for a year at the $20 Million Bridge”, or “A tour of a condo that you can’t afford at Cherapa or the Steel District”.
the city is admitting that the current convention center, and by extension the denty, is a failure.
Eagerly awaiting Mike’s 12 paragraphs of gobbledegook on the subject. I mean, I won’t read it, but still looking forward to it.
The Entertainment District including the Denny, Convention Center, Arena, the Ball Park, and Football Field is NOT a failure. Stop calling it a failure cause you did not get your desired location back in the 1990’s. At the time, the People did not choose to move it and they like the fact the Arena is still standing. The current convention center is a very profitable location, and has served the city very satisfactory. It appears the only people complaining are General Y, Z, and the Milenials. The very generation that seem to do nothing but complaining today. Those of us that lived through the 1980’s and 1990’s love the current location today. Stop it. There is a place, and time to develop the former Drake Springs Pool location, and as the city plans for that developent, it can become very good asset. But for today, the Dennty, Convention Center, Arena, and the Ballpark are the place to be today.
Do any of you remember the former Convention Center that today is the Heath Department? Parking is, and alays caused a problem. I should kno some of us spent many days and nights in that building…
The Premier Center, like the Pool, is outperforming it’s projections.
The 50 year mistake was where it was sited, thanks MMM.
The current events center will end up another dinosaur until it’s finally demolished. There aren’t enough kids to kick balls inside it full time. Can another one be justified? Build it and they won’t come. It was comical watching TenHaken wiggle with kindergarteners who should have been in school. This city needs a corrupt developer who can build something other than play places. Sioux Falls is a city whose school children can’t afford lunch and there’s a meat locker for dead frozen homeless. However, there will be monstrous features like the Pyramids for future archaeologists to scratch their heads and wonder ‘Why?’.
I was getting concerned MLZ was MIA.
Stupid location for a convention and rec center. Terrible road access, no parking, plenty of congestion as it is.
I can’t wait to retire so i never am required to go downtown again. No one in the city ever thinks ahead.
T minus two years until i can move my old arse down south.
Virginia,
Do not worry about me, I am good. I got a full time job, and I have my own website to keep up to date, plus other plus other committee groups to stay involved in. I post around more when it slows down.
p.s are you serious? There is no issue getting to and from the Event Center, Arena, and Ballpark. You have to major freeways leading right to the entertainment district. Parking is NOT a big concern. Plenty of it.
I was afraid Noem had sent MLZ to the border as part of the South Dakota State Militia.
mike, i think she was taking about a convention center downtown. The same reasons why we were told an event center couldn’t be built downtown, parking, traffic, etc.
This “half-baked” plan reminds me of a scene from ‘The Graduate’…..:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1H7yD2diAI
( and Woodstock adds: “Oh, I love Dustin Hoffman, especially in ‘Midnight Cowboy’…. ) ……:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c412hqucHKw
How is don kearnay still the park director, Fargo fired their guy