May 22, 2018

When national stores and restaurants new to the Sioux Falls market consider coming to town, they often seek out the area in and around The Empire Mall.

Until now, options have been limited for Raquel Blount to show those tenants.

But this year, she’s marketing the former Sioux Falls Ford Lincoln property at RECON, the retail industry’s largest convention.

“It’s a game-changer,” said Blount of Lloyd Cos. “It allows us to have conversations we couldn’t have previously. We’ve already seen serious interest in the opportunity, and we expect more as the convention goes on.”

A conceptual plan shows the type of development that could be possible on the property. One scenario could accommodate 70,000 to 75,000 square feet of retail as well as mixed-use opportunities.

“It’s really a blank slate at this point,” Blount said. “We need to see what the market will support before any plan is finalized, but we definitely think this will allow us to bring new food and beverage options to town, more shopping, new entertainment venues and places for people to live or stay when they visit Sioux Falls.”

The Empire Mall estimates it draws 12 million visitors annually.

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