By Jodi Schwan

Eventually, 49th Street will extend from Minnesota to Western avenues.

The owners of some property in the area are marketing land that eventually will be the northeast corner of 49th and Western.

“With the right user, it’s very high-value,” said Craig Hagen of NAI Sioux Falls, who has the 1.66-acre parcel listed.

The land used to be Soo Sports, until the business to moved to Minnesota and 85th Street several years ago. The owners retained the former property.

“They’re in no great hurry to sell it, but they know there’s a real market out there. And, of course, there is,” Hagen said, pointing to the more than 26,000 vehicles that already pass through the intersection daily.

He thinks the property could be a good fit for retail, especially once 49th Street is extended.

A timeline for the road project is still in the works, though.

City engineering is working on a final design for the stretch between Grange and Western avenues and that’s anticipated to go on into next year.

“That will determine the future timeline for construction,” said Mike Cooper, the city’s director of planning and building services.

“The 49th Street corridor came about as a way to help relieve some of the congestion on 41st Street. We’re at the point we can’t widen 41st Street anymore, so this is another way of providing traffic flow.”

The connection to Minnesota Avenue will depend on when the state completes improvements to the Interstate 229 and Minnesota interchange.

“I think it will open up more opportunity and encourage additional redevelopment in the future along the corridor, closer to Western Avenue and closer to Minnesota eventually,” Cooper said.