A master plan for the future of downtown Sioux Falls out to 2035 aims to make the city’s core a “world-class urban environment.”

That’s a bigger vision than the plan’s predecessor, which looked out to 2025 and envisioned downtown Sioux Falls becoming a leading urban area regionally.

As downtown has seen significant development in the last decade, “one of the contributing factors is the planning efforts that have been done that cast a vision for the community’s aspirations,” said Dustin Powers, the city’s community development coordinator.

A draft of the 2035 downtown plan was released today. Six core values set up the structure of the plan, along with more detailed goals that support them:

Welcoming for all

• Foster downtown as a year-round destination.
• Provide experiences and amenities that support a family-friendly environment.
• Ensure downtown is safe and inviting.

Connected

• Promote an improved pedestrian environment.
• Provide consistent wayfinding.
• Increase bicycle connectivity to and from downtown.
• Build up transit to serve downtown.
• Maintain a safe level of vehicular circulation.

Growth and development

• Redevelop underutilized area with high-quality mixed-use buildings.
• Stimulate development.
• Establish public-private partnerships to achieve desired development outcomes.

Community spirit

• Expand arts and cultural programming.
• Provide opportunity for philanthropic support of downtown projects.
• Promote ways to share the city’s history.

Branding, identity and marketing

• Celebrate downtown’s brand as a vibrant, diverse neighborhood.
• Establish downtown’s brand identity.
• Market downtown as a great place for business.

Quality and design

• Improve and expand streetscape design.
• Support measures to create a sustainable neighborhood environment.

Each broad goal includes multiple action items and potential ways to achieve the vision. That includes things like year-round markets, more public restrooms and continued work on partnerships related to homelessness downtown.

The planning process studied an area broader than the current downtown boundaries but doesn’t include a direct recommendation to expand them.

The north boundary of downtown technically cuts Falls Park in half, so there’s consideration of expanding to the north to include more of Falls Park.

“We also talk about maybe there’s some opportunity to expand to the east,” Powers said. “More conversations will need to be had.”

The goal is to have the plan finalized by this fall and approved by the Planning Commission and City Council.

There will be a public open house to comment on the plan Aug. 10 at the Downtown Library, 200 N. Dakota Ave.

To see the draft plan, click here. 

Current projects

Several active developments downtown reflect goals of the 2025 master plan, including The Steel District and expansion of Cherapa Place. The One2, a more than $40 million apartment project, recently started construction on the south end of downtown.

Iowa-based Christensen Development is working with the city to redevelop one remaining piece of downtown rail yard land.

“The developer has been working with us and really watching the market as it related to The Steel District and Cherapa,” Powers said in terms of apartment and commercial space absorption to determine the final mix of uses in the project.

“Ultimately, what we want to come of that is what’s happening in this development will support those developments that are already underway,” he said.

The city also continues to talk with interested parties about redevelopment of the area around the parking ramp on Mall Avenue, he said. Many of them were waiting for the 2035 Downtown Plan to wrap up because “they wanted to know what the vision of this community is for downtown and can we support … the type of development we’re talking about here,” he said. “It’s a challenging project in that they’re building on top of a parking structure, but it’s also a great opportunity, and we know that.”