Dec. 16, 2024

A committee is recommending that the city of Sioux Falls purchase land east of downtown proposed for a potential convention center, with some changes to the original agreement.

The City Council requested an additional committee to assist in the process of redeveloping the land, dubbed the Riverline District, including reviewing a purchase agreement with the current owners, State Partners LLC. The investment group has owned the property near 10th Street and Cliff Avenue since 2013.

The members of the Riverline Steering Committee are:

• Alex Halbach
• Rick Kiley
• Rhonda Lockwood
• Rich Merkouris
• Cynthia Mickelson
• Bob Mundt
• Tony Nour
• Jessie Schmidt

“The biggest thing we’ve been working on is reviewing the proposed contract,” said Merkouris, who also serves on the City Council.

The review resulted in two changes to the agreement. One gives the city five years instead of three to start a project on the site — otherwise the land can revert back to the previous owners. The other broadens the potential use for the property from specifically a convention enter to “an economic development or public facility of some sort,” Merkouris said.

“Everybody was in unanimous support and really pleased.”

The City Council is scheduled to vote on the changes this week. The funds to buy the land, about $8 million, already have been appropriated. The plan is to close on the purchase July 1, 2025.

In the meantime, the plan to redevelop the site is moving through additional phases leading to a public vote.

“The next step for us is we started a conversation on a timeline to get more specific, to present that to the City Council and others in the community,” Merkouris said. “And had a good conversation about do we target a public vote in November 2025 or April 2026. At our next meeting in January, we’re hoping to lay out a more specific timeline: Here’s what would need to happen between now and then … to continue to build confidence with the public.”

Two reports next year will help bring additional clarity to the plan. One scheduled to be released in January will focus on the existing Sioux Falls Convention Center and how it could be retrofitted. The other is due in April and will include cost analysis and financing options for a downtown convention center.

“The goal is to put together a vision that the public can consider,” Merkouris said.