May 17, 2021

Get ready for another big downtown redevelopment project.

The developers of Cherapa Place are scheduled to brief the Sioux Falls City Council on Tuesday on Cherapa II, a long-planned second phase of development along the Big Sioux River.

The group, led by Jeff Scherschligt, received an option from the city in 2019 to purchase part of the former rail yard site for the development. Tuesday’s agenda includes a reference to tax increment financing that would be needed to complete it as envisioned.

The briefing will come one week after Lloyd Cos. announced to the council that it is hoping to break ground on a nearly $200 million redevelopment of the Sioux Steel site.

“I think the investment that people are talking about making in downtown – at a significant level due to the scale and scope of the development and even at a small-business level – is unlike what we’ve seen in the past,” said Erica Beck, the mayor’s chief of staff.

“And I think part of that is because of the city being bullish on downtown and ultimately what our investment will lead to in the future.”

The city is completing, constructing or planning multiple major public improvements throughout downtown.

The rehabilitated Eighth Street bridge, while mostly done last year, wraps up this year with enhanced lighting and improvements to the River Greenway underneath the bridge.

“The bridge was commissioned in 1912, so it’s over 100 years old, and we’ve modernized the pedestrian functions to today’s standards, greatly widened the sidewalks on the deck of the bridge, and underneath you’re going to experience an interpretive wall along the bike trail on the west side, and the arches will be lit,” said Mark Cotter, director of public works.

“It will all come together at the same time.”

Next up: the Sixth Street bridge, which needs to be fully reconstructed. Design is planned for this year, with bidding in late summer of 2022 and completed construction in 2023.

“That bridge is old and tired and doesn’t lend itself well to rehabilitation like the Eighth Street bridge did,” Cotter said. “We’re actively designing it.”

Mayor Paul TenHaken dubbed the future bridge the “Unity Bridge” in his recent State of the City speech, saying he envisions an enhanced bridge that will honor those who have been bridge builders in the community.

“I really like his idea to say, let’s make this an experience downtown and create opportunities to recognize people,” Cotter said. “We’re looking at what it would look like – a traditional bridge only wrapped with quartzite stone … so we’ll utilize that stone of our heritage to wrap key elements and really tie into the River Greenway.”

The city also is planning to start design on a modernized Seventh Street cul-de-sac. The idea is to make a better connection for viewing the Arc of Dreams spanning the river. That project also is scheduled for construction next year and completion in 2023.

“It’s an opportunity to really tie together the private and public investment and work together,” said Jeff Eckhoff, director of planning and development services. “We’ve started looking at … what are the things we’ve talked about doing or want to do, and let’s make sure we’re providing quality infrastructure and getting it done.”

There’s more roadwork ahead too. The city plans to reconstruct Phillips Avenue from Eighth Street to about 100 feet south of Ninth Street next year and is looking to the public for suggested streetscape enhancements.

“That will hopefully engage and give us some ideas of what people want to see in that space, and then we would tie those improvements in with the projects,” Cotter said. “We want to make that segment of Phillips Avenue look similar to what is to the south, working with the adjacent developments at The First National Bank, Hotel on Phillips and Equity Square. It’s a good time to bring streetscape elements to that block.”

Eventually the plan is to reconstruct Phillips north to Sixth Street.

And then there are the planned park improvements, including the public-private partnership to bring Jacobson Plaza to Falls Park West and create an ice ribbon and accessible playground.

The city will start design this year on the segment of the River Greenway that will run adjacent to the Sioux Steel development, which will include Kiwanis Park and reconstruction of the low-head dam, which is key to ensuring the river can maintain adequate levels.

“That will transform and help assist in making sure Falls Park is what it is today,” Beck said. “We are going through design and are certainly open to suggestions from the community about what they want the site to look like, but it will be a transition of uses along the greenway.”

The northern portion will complement the future Canopy by Hilton hotel, and to the south, there will be more kid-friendly amenities, she said.

“People describe downtown as the living room of our community. We want everyone to feel comfortable whether they live or work here or recreate here.”

Interest in downtown from businesses continues to be robust, city leaders said.

“It’s surprisingly strong,” Eckhoff said. “We get inquires. I had one the other day about the lots south of Eighth Street (on the rail yard) the other day. There continues to be interest in the downtown, which is really interesting given it seems to be everywhere, but it’s still strong downtown.”

Sioux Steel downtown redevelopment looks to restart with late-summer groundbreaking