Bender to help develop plan to sell or lease School for the Deaf campus
By Jodi Schwan
The South Dakota Board of Regents is getting serious about redeveloping the South Dakota School for the Deaf campus.
It has retained Bender Commercial Real Estate Services to help the board “in developing a commercially reasonable plan” to sell or lease the 14.5-acre property on East 10th Street near downtown Sioux Falls.
A recent report to the regents recommended selling approximately 6 acres of green space at the campus and leasing out much of its 98,000 square feet of building space, which includes offices, classrooms, an indoor pool and gymnasium. Selling the entire 14.5-acre campus also remains an option, the report noted.
Bender was hired as a consultant to help enhance the efficiency and use of the property, according to a statement from the regents.
“The hiring of the Bender team as a consultant is the next step forward in a process that was started earlier this year to evaluate the campus and determine how best to use the site to meet the needs of the school and to maximize the income that can be derived,” said Mike Rush, the regents’ executive director and CEO.
“Our board felt that we needed the services of a local consultant with an understanding of real estate development and knowledge of the Sioux Falls market.”
The consulting agreement runs through June 2018.
“We are pleased to have been selected by the Board of Regents,” Bender said. “Our team has been involved with the Whittier area and the School for the Deaf in the past. We look forward to continuing our involvement and working with members of the board, staff at the School for the Deaf, and the residents of the surrounding neighborhood to develop a viable and achievable strategy for the property.”
Those interested in learning more about land purchase or facility leasing options are encouraged to review the School for the Deaf property report online. For information, contact Rush at (605) 773-3455 or Bender at (605) 336-7200.
Land to the west of the property is being redeveloped into a retail center, and the historic buildings were renovated into office space and apartments.
