Jan. 24, 2022

A coffee shop has become the first business to plan a location in a development along a man-made lake on the far west side of Sioux Falls.

Dunn Brothers Coffee will build in the Firehouse 42 development on the northeast corner of 12th Street and Ellis Road.

“We’re going full steam ahead,” said Eric Schofield, CFO of WS Construction Management, which was founded by Eric Ward in 2008.

“We’re going to start with the build-out of the coffee shop and all the site work that’s necessary, and as we get into that project, we’ll start work on the multitenant and day care area.”

Dunn Brothers will be franchised locally by different owners from the ones who franchised the east-side location, Schofield said.

The location will be just under 2,000 square feet, “so there will be seating inside and a mini gathering area, so if people want to meet and sit around and talk, they can do that comfortably, and we’ll have a patio,” he said. “They (roast) their own beans, and the quality of the menu they offer for breakfast and lunch was very appealing.”

The building will sit off 12th Street and was a hit with Dunn Brothers’ corporate team, Schofield said.

“They loved the idea of getting into a spot where it’s a little underdeveloped compared to what they’re used to seeing, but they love the traffic, they love the neighborhood, they love that it’s between schools, and it fits what they want to do with putting community first.”

The rest of the boardwalk-style development is expected to fill in with a variety of uses. The lake takes up most of the 40-acre property south of Family Park, with about 12 acres left for building.

The multitenant building that’s also expected to start construction this year includes about 7,500 square feet on the back envisioned for a child care center with a playground, and three smaller retail spaces along the front.

“There’s flexibility for that to be something else, but we really think the day care is a good idea,” Schofield said.

Phase two “we think will be a really sweet spot for a bar, brewpub, restaurant type of thing, potentially if the tenant would want access on top for a rooftop bar and access to a patio as well,” he added.

The plan is to have Dunn Brothers open by the end of summer or early fall.

The entire development contains about six phases, including more retail and office.