April 28, 2024

The headline on the announcement from the Washington Pavilion called it “The beginning of a new era.”

But to me, the name of the actual outdoor art installation being announced felt even more fitting: Cyclicality.

I think the name draws on the installation’s mirror prisms, which will “capture and reflect the natural surrounding and sunlight” during the day and then “transform into an immersive display of vibrant colors” at night, according to the Pavilion.

I’m definitely getting the sense that Sioux Falls is entering a stage of its growth cycle that we’ve seen before, with takeaways we should pay attention to now.

Sioux Falls has experienced times of strong population growth in the past, but the most recent post-pandemic years have brought a level of expansion unlike what we’re used to in recent history.

“The pandemic threw a very bright spotlight on what a great place South Dakota is to live, the incredible job opportunities here and the beautiful quality of life that comes along with all of it,” Mayor Paul TenHaken said in his recent “State of the City” address.

“As a result, the cost of living has increased to a point that it’s had noticeable impact on families, individuals and community resources. As we look toward the future, it’s imperative that we continue to approach our growth with wisdom, foresight, caution and optimism.”

Here is the hard truth about growth as I learned working in city government more than a decade ago: Growth generally is not revenue positive to government. The demands of growth usually cost more in public improvements and operations than new population generates in the form of public revenue like property tax and sales tax. That’s part of why the overall cost of living in larger communities tends to be higher.

The opposite, of course, is not a better option. There’s no such thing as standing still. You’re generally either gaining or losing population. Sioux Falls’ strength has been in its consistent, slow, steady growth. Call it manageable growth, both from our ability to build the roads, fire stations and parks to support it, as well as our capacity to support those new improvements operationally.

But adding 5,000 people per year — or more — doesn’t feel all that slow and steady, does it? Combine that with rising interest rates, shrinking home inventory, mounting property taxes and increased cost of living and it all feels like more of a squeeze on everything from your day-to-day living expenses to your long-term investments.

So maybe it’s not surprising that I’m starting to notice some consistent pushback from the public when we talk about new building, new roads, new amenities, etc.

And I think at least some of it is warranted.

There are cautionary tales across this country when it comes to communities sprawling too far, too fast, and Sioux Falls is uniquely situated so that we can and are expanding literally in every direction.

At the same time, we don’t control market demand. Much as I, like several of our readers, would love to see more urban density, redevelopment and pedestrian-focused neighborhoods, this is still a place where people often prefer to drive, want a three-stall garage, a large backyard and a school built this century.

Of course, that doesn’t capture everyone here. We have another population I know would like to rewind a couple of decades, back when the city limits were more compact and you could still buy a single-family home for under six figures. I don’t dismiss the appeal of that, either.

The challenge comes in making the sort of investments that both support the needs and desires of a growing population while not saddling all involved with significant funding hurdles in the years ahead. That’s when we’ve begun to see fractures in the community in the past, a contingent that pushes back against most any new investment because it seems like too much — too much money, too much risk, too many “wants.”

Back to the artwork.

Just like that piece and how it treats light, what are we capturing when we study and listen to our community today? How are we reflecting it in the decisions we support? And what kind of transformation will occur because of that?

The next phase in the “cyclicality” of Sioux Falls is going to be determined by the answers to those questions.