April 3, 2025

This paid piece is sponsored by Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

When Sioux Falls-based Van Buskirk Cos. began building homes in Harrisburg, it was a bit of a pioneering move.

But the company saw the potential to bring move-up housing to the city several years ago when it started developing its Devitt Farms neighborhood.

“Now, we are nearly a decade into building homes where families can maintain their community connection by remaining in the town where they want to maintain their roots,” co-CEO Steve Van Buskirk said.

“It has been very gratifying to see the change in the community. This quality of housing has helped create the demand that has led to a flourish of retail and service growth in Harrisburg.”

His company now is developing Mydland Estates, a new neighborhood on the east side along Willow Avenue, connected by a bike path to Liberty Elementary, Foundation Park and Lake Ole, where kids love to fish in the summer.

“We currently have 67 home sites available with brand-new walkout lots backing up to the water pond,” Van Buskirk said. “Being halfway through the development means that we have significant selection available for customers to buy the lot, choose their builder and build their dream home.”

The development is all single-family homes, with some single-story, villa-style floor plans. It’s a mix of homes built on spec and custom, from builders including Capstone Homes, Van Buskirk Homes, Smith Development, A-Plus Construction and 3H Properties.

“The neighborhood has really enjoyed the lots on the water,” Van Buskirk added. “It’s a fun place to sit, relax and enjoy the wildlife flying in.”

Empire Cos. regularly develops neighborhoods in Sioux Falls, where it’s based, but it’s now breaking ground on its first residential activity in Harrisburg.

“I just think the town of Harrisburg is developing quickly and getting the services and attractions people want to see,” co-owner Brady Hyde said. “We like our location off South Louise Avenue, and it’s a hop skip down the road from Sioux Falls, and being right by a school (Adventure Elementary) is helpful. So the location and watching the community grow gave us a reason to start building.”

The 115-acre Birdie View development will include 60 to 70 lots in its first phase. On April 8, a referendum determined this property will not be developed as multi-family residential and will remain single-family.

“I think it will be a great neighborhood for young families,” said Hyde, adding that most homes will be built on spec but with some options for customization. The single-family homes likely will sell for about $400,000 to $500,000.

Early dirt work has started, and the hope is to begin foundations this fall, so the first residents could start to move in about a year from now.

“We’ll also have approximately 35 or 40 acres of conservation or natural resource area that we’ll work with the city on to provide walking trails and a nature area, so I think it will be a walkable, desirable neighborhood,” Hyde said.

From 2022 through 2024, Harrisburg issued building permits for 272 single-family homes.

In many parts of the community, “we have a blank canvas in Harrisburg,” said Bryce Healy, a long-time school district resident who now serves Harrisburg as an economic development specialist through Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

“We have many housing developments actively under construction and future ones that aren’t even annexed yet but will be in 2025.”

Other developments include:

• Creekside Place from Signature Cos., located by Harrisburg High School and Freedom Elementary.
• Dynamic Development from Dynamic Reality, located in the northwest part of the city in a mixed-use development.
• Mills Creek from First Choice Development, located near Freedom Elementary.
• Tiger Meadows from Legacy Development, located near the new Liberty Elementary.

“You’ll notice many of our new neighborhoods are located near schools, and that’s because the Harrisburg School District is a jewel that is helping drive development,” Healy said.

“It’s also increasingly easy to get to Harrisburg from Sioux Falls, and the new housing developments offer amenities like walking trails and proximity to parks because there’s the opportunity to build futuristically. And new retail and restaurant options are helping further modernize the community.”

Growth in Harrisburg will be guided by a new city leadership team — city administrator Amanda Mack and deputy administrator Heath VonEye — in partnership with organizations such as the Harrisburg Economic Development Corp.

Mack set the tone in a recent meeting with developers in which she asked simply “What can we do better?”

“We’re here to listen and provide clarity and transparency in our development process,” Mack said. “Harrisburg as a community is committed not only to investing in the infrastructure necessary to support growth but to helping streamline the approval process for projects and fostering a collaborative environment.”

There will be continued demand for development, said Marcus Mahlen, chair of the Harrisburg Economic Development Corp.

“Residents want to live near good schools, and the Harrisburg School District is a tremendous asset to the community. It’s exciting to see several new developers working toward breaking ground in Harrisburg, with more to come.”

As a longtime developer, Van Buskirk continues to be bullish on the community, in part because of how engaged it is.

“Harrisburg is a community with a very active citizenship who are doing all that they can to make it the best possible place to live,” he said.

“Long known for the quality of the schools and education, they are determined to fulfill their growth plans and provide a town rich in service, retail, employment and traditions to make this the best version of themselves. Dedicated volunteer leadership is amazing to watch in action, and it is going to be fun to see where they take us.”

Editor’s note: This piece has been updated to reflect the outcome of an April 8 election involving one of the developments.