March 11, 2021

The west-side former home of Gage Brothers Concrete Products might not be an empty lot for much longer.

The 26-acre property at 12th Street and Interstate 29 has two lots under contract, according to listing broker Raquel Blount of Lloyd Cos.

One 2-acre site is being eyed by an existing retailer looking to do a relocation, and a deal in the works near the site’s entrance would bring another location for a national restaurant with a drive-thru.

Another larger retailer is considering a site plan, “and we’ve had interest from banks, a hotel and other quick-service restaurants,” Blount said.

“There’s a lot of good progress and activity there.”

Sioux Falls land developers Jim Soukup and Al Spencer purchased the property in early 2020. Soukup Construction is grading the site, putting in an access road and creating the ponding and sewer infrastructure needed to develop it.

“We’re pretty excited about the direction we’re heading. We were pleasantly surprised at the interest level,” Soukup said. “We think it’s a great site. The traffic count is rather large to say the least.”

Demolition is done, and the pile will be crushed and recycled into a road gravel product, he said.

“We’ll use a lot of it on-site, but some will be hauled and used on other projects we have in the area,” Soukup said.

“There are some ponds we need to build, and the site is low in some areas, so we’ll be hauling in fill to get the site up to grade. Hopefully, we continue to get the interest in the property as we move forward.”

The plan is for retailers whose deals are in progress to begin construction this spring so they can open in the fall, Blount said.

The overall level of interest in the property “just shows the strength of the market right now and the fact that we have a lot of good activity and people are willing to continue moving forward with business and new locations and new construction.”