April 28, 2025

This paid piece is sponsored by Augustana University. 

As part of a ceremony hosted by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, Augustana University broke ground today on Foundation Heights, a new apartment building for students. The approximately $12 million project is part of the university’s strategic plan — Viking Bold: The Journey to 2030 — to transform the physical campus to include new and enhanced facilities.

“I’m extremely excited for our students. This apartment building will give them a living experience that will rival any other apartment building in our community but will be right here on our campus,” said Shannan Nelson, Augustana chief financial officer and executive vice president.

Designed by VanDeWalle Architects LLC, the project is being developed in partnership with Lloyd Cos. The project was inspired by the late Craig Lloyd, a member of the Augustana board of trustees and an honorary alumnus. In addition, Lloyd and his wife, Pat, are founding partners of the Augustana men’s hockey program and Midco Arena.

“Craig Lloyd has been a longtime supporter of Augustana,” said Mark Quasney, president of development for Lloyd Cos. “He always had little side projects that he was working on, and then we would get brought into the loop and help him bring them across the finish line.”

Before Lloyd passed away in late January, Quasney said the team was able to assure him it was moving forward with the project that had been in the works for several years.

“He was really excited about that,” Quasney said. “So it will be nice to see it break ground and go up. It’s one of the last things that he put his fingerprints on … in such detail.”

In collaboration with the Lloyd family, Augustana wanted to recognize the man who helped shape the Sioux Falls region with the naming of the building. The Lloyd family felt that “Foundation Heights” would represent Craig as a person and leader.

“The Lloyd family is deeply honored to commemorate Craig Lloyd through the naming of Foundation Heights. Craig believed in the importance of building strong foundations — in business, in relationships and within communities,” said Pat Lloyd, Lloyd Cos. co-founder and board member.

“Just as college students lay the groundwork for their futures through education, friendships and life experiences, Craig dedicated his life to creating vibrant, resilient communities rooted in opportunity, stability and connection. He took great pride in serving Augustana University, and we are grateful that his Viking spirit will live on through Foundation Heights — continuing to inspire and uplift Augustana students for generations to come.”

Foundation Heights, which will be built on the northeast corner of 28th Street and Grange Avenue, will house more than 100 students. The building will consist of four stories with primarily two- and four-bedroom suites, as well as 13 single units.

Similar to Augustana’s newest residence hall — Ralph H. Wagoner Hall — the building’s first floor will have both living and office spaces, along with a lounge, lobby and elevator.

“As an Augie alum, what I loved most about this project was the opportunity to create a vibrant housing community that didn’t exist when I went to Augustana. This particular project will enhance the neighborhood and provide more modern housing options for students as Augustana grows,” said Luke Jessen, class of 2014 and vice president of development for Lloyd Cos., who worked closely with the design and construction teams to bring the vision to life.

Along with two existing vacant lots, Augustana already made way for the new project between 27th and 28th streets on Grange Avenue with the removal of several houses in 2022. Many homes were donated to the South Eastern Council of Governments — the planning and development district that serves a number of surrounding counties and municipalities. The houses were relocated and made available to Sioux Falls families. 

“Every year, we have a waiting list for the apartments on Summit (Avenue), so the demand is there,” Nelson said. “With the demand, we felt it made sense to move forward.”

“Augustana elevates the community and attracts people to Sioux Falls, so it’s incumbent upon us to be good partners and help find solutions so the university can continue to grow,” Quasney said. “It’s a critical need, especially if you’re going to continue to grow like Augustana has been.”

Construction on Foundation Heights is expected to be complete by fall 2026.

The new building will be the sixth apartment offering on campus — joining Balcer, Nelsen and Svendsbye apartments on Summit Avenue, Schoeneman Apartments on 33rd Street and Costello Hall Apartments on the corner of 33rd Street and Grange Avenue.

To learn more about Augustana’s residential housing options, visit augie.edu/housing.