Decades-old water tanks demolished on Cliff Avenue for redevelopment
March 22, 2021
Water tanks that have been on South Cliff Avenue for decades are being demolished to make way for an office development.
The former Lincoln County Rural Water System tanks at 61st Street and Cliff are being cleared more than eight years after being taken out of service when Lincoln County Rural Water became a member of the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System rather than Sioux Falls’ water system.
“This will be a large demolition project. Each tank could hold 750,000 gallons of water, and they are approximately 80 feet diameter and 24 feet floor to top each of cement and rebar,” Robin Dykstra, manager of Lincoln County Rural Water, said in a statement.
The original construction of the first water tank dates back to 1971, and the project initiated the city to extend Cliff past 57th Street.
The decision to develop the tanks was to provide quality water to the rural areas of Lincoln County, which were accustomed to using private wells or hauling in water for home consumption and livestock production.
Lincoln County Rural Water, a nonprofit organization formed in 1970, applied for loans and grants for the construction of the tanks and agreements were signed committing Sioux Falls to treat water and deliver it to the reservoir site.
Years later in 1984, Sioux Falls city water demands were increasing, which drove the construction of the second tank.
“We have photos of the second tank’s construction taken in 1984 showing a cornfield around the perimeter of the reservoir property. It is vastly different from what you see in the area now,” Dykstra said.
After the demolition, this will be the last empty parcel this close to 57th Street west of Cliff, said Steve Van Buskirk of Van Buskirk Cos., listing agent for the property.
“The site is being cleared to open up a premier office corner on South Cliff, a great opportunity for a high-visibility location for a bank or other neighborhood office user,” he said.
The site is almost 48,000 square feet. It’s listed for sale and includes a Verizon cellular tower lease.
