City launches design contest for Falls Park

Feb. 19, 2020

The city of Sioux Falls is taking a new approach with its upcoming master plan for Falls Park – a design contest it’s patterning after projects in the Twin Cities.

The city plans to invite licensed professionals to compete for the chance to design new improvements at the park. It’s similar to a process used in Minneapolis to design Nicollet Mall and the riverfront.

“It’s an alternative design approach to the typical master planning process,” park development specialist Mike Patten told the Sioux Falls City Council on Tuesday.

“It really attracts expert designers and new talent. You’re going to attract people who normally may not be interested in a project. It invites fresh ideas and new thinking.”

Some of the original improvements to Falls Park are nearly 20 years old. Other sections of the park, such as the north and west sides, have been planned “sort of in a bubble,” Patten said.

“We’re looking for a comprehensive vision. Park usage has increased, and a lot of the adjacent development is really moving.”

The city hopes to generate a multitude of ideas and will own the rights to them regardless of which design firm ultimately is selected, he said.

“It really incentivizes designers to do their best work. They’re competing against their peers,” he said.

The city plans to issue a request for proposals this spring and use a committee to work through the process. Up to four firms will be chosen to compete and will be given $10,000 each toward their work.

They will have four months to work on their ideas, with presentations in the fall. The winner then will be publicly presented.

Teams will be scored on vision, innovation and creativity, feasibility and practicality, activation and recreation, and connectivity to nature, art and history.

“We want a plan that can be realistically implemented,” Patten said. “We really hope to build upon the existing spaces and natural features of Falls Park.”

The concept will be incorporated into the master plan next year, which Patten said the city envisions as a collection of the best ideas submitted.

“We really want the plan to ultimately inspire the community,” he said.

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City launches design contest for Falls Park

The city of Sioux Falls is taking a new approach with its upcoming master plan for Falls Park – a design contest it’s patterning after projects in the Twin Cities.

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