July 20, 2025

When it comes to social media, I tend to listen far more than I talk.

While it’s an imperfect tool for gauging public sentiment, I’ve managed our news pages’ social media accounts long enough to be able to get a decent gauge on what feedback might represent popular opinion versus a limited number of loud voices.

Recent weeks have provided ample opportunity for such listening, especially as it relates to large public investments: the South Dakota men’s prison, an expansion of the Sioux Falls Regional Airport and a new downtown convention center.

I get the sense that the majority of the public might agree with me on this point: In all cases, make the investment that makes sense for the future. Build it right, if you build it at all.

Let’s consider each one.

If you’ve not familiarized yourself much with the debate over the men’s prison, I encourage you to read the recaps my media colleagues made after receiving unprecedented access to the existing one. This one from South Dakota Searchlight and this one from The Dakota Scout will tell you what you need to know.

Forget wondering where to build the new prison for a moment. Let’s start with owning the disgrace we’ve allowed the current one to become. The conditions reported there are unacceptable, and we all — citizens and elected officials alike — should acknowledge that the longer we wait to deal with this, the more culpable we all become.

As we’ve reported on the various location options in Sioux Falls, I’ve experienced little pushback from readers. The sites now being considered seem to be in appropriate areas, even drawing support from the closest business neighbor.

I also don’t get a sense that the public is as concerned about the price tag as they are the outcome. It’s clear that this is going to be hundreds of millions of dollars, whether there’s a 6, 7 or 8 in front of the final price tag.

I think most people want to see a plan that is designed efficiently but effectively enough for the safety of all involved. I think they want to know it’s not going to be full day one and is going to provide capacity for years into the future. And I think that they want this investment made with a bigger holistic approach in mind — paired with programs designed to prevent recidivism and allow people a better chance to become contributing members of society. Build it right — the prison itself and the necessary programs within it.

Now, the Sioux Falls Regional Airport.

The public seems to love this project, and understandably so.

We have long winters here. We’re somewhat geographically isolated. Strong air service can have a direct tie to quality of life and economic development, and I think the public is willing to invest in it.

When we ran a story on how the Airport Authority supported bonding for a baseline project to add a net of four gates to the concourse, there was public support but also a number of people who wanted further investment in the project. As it stands, this would create an expansion without additional seating or food and beverage options. It also doesn’t include an additional gate with the capacity to one day establish the capacity to serve international travel.

Think of how long it took to get a parking ramp at the airport. Now, less than a year after opening, it already has been filled at times, and we probably could have made a case for going bigger. Plus, remember the discussion point around whether to build the skywalk? I’m guessing most of us are glad we spent the additional money and did that. It’s probably a big reason why it’s used so much.

I think every dollar we put into airport upgrades is going to end up coming back sooner rather than later. The city of Sioux Falls’ offer of a $5 million loan to support expansion is one step, but there needs to be a commitment at a state level and hopefully a federal one to amplify that investment. I feel confident the majority of the public supports that use of their tax dollars. And if that funding doesn’t come today, the airport should consider additional bonding to do the project right the first time while continuing to push for public dollars that can be put toward paying down the debt.

Now to the proposed convention center.

A few weeks ago, we shared an update on how a facility likely would support up to 400 more on-site hotel rooms and shared preliminary projections about construction and operating costs. Bottom line: Construction is estimated to reach up to $250 million, and that doesn’t count retrofitting the old convention center for other uses. Operationally, there are all sorts of variables baked into the projections, but it’s safe to assume this building — at least on its own — is not going to operate in the black. That’s not a knock on the concept or the location — it’s simply the reality of large public convention centers. If you’re going to support this, you will do so on the basis that it drives positive revenue into the broader community not because it’s going to be profitable on its own.

So here’s how those who “reacted” to our social media post weighed in: Sixty-four liked it, nine laughed at it, nine were mad about it, three loved it, and three were surprised by it.

The comments were a different story, dominated by a lot of backlash, including opposition to the city being in the business of running a convention center, opposition to the location and skepticism around the demand for events. Those trying to bring a concept forward should read all of them because I’m guessing they could reflect a broader sentiment.

The public might not like spending on a prison, but it’s hard at this point to dispute the need. They support spending on an airport expansion because it easily answers the question “What’s in it for me?” But let’s face it: It’s hard to get excited about a building that you personally won’t use very often unless you’re going to a conference or business event. That’s probably why it took bundling the restoration of the Washington Pavilion with it for Sioux Falls voters to approve a convention center in the 1990s.

But like the prison and the airport, our convention center does need to be positioned for the future. We are losing business that would benefit the community because it’s both too small and too full. And downtown seems like where I’d want to bring visitors to Sioux Falls if I were trying to attract their event, so it does make sense to look at locations there. I think if a strong case can be made, perhaps again combining a convention center with other community amenities for a vote, that the support could be there. But it’s going to be a challenging case to make, especially given operational pressures causing the city to cut back other services. They come from different parts of the budget, but the average person conflates all of it despite the reality that growing sales tax revenue through visitor spending does allow more money for basic city services.

The takeaway for me on all three public projects is this: The public wants things built right the first time. These are major investments, but they also likely won’t get any cheaper years down the road. And the opportunity cost of doing nothing is significant. Elected leaders need to tell a compelling story so the public understands that reality — and then need the courage to make the investments with the greatest return.