Jan. 27, 2020

The new downtown East Bank Depot’s latest tenant is a longtime Sioux Falls law firm.

Christopherson, Anderson, Paulson & Fideler LLP is moving from its building at 509 S. Dakota Ave. to a nearly 1,800-square-foot space under construction in the East Bank Depot at 424 E. Eighth St.

The law firm was established in 1894. Its practice areas include estate planning and probate, real estate law, and business organization and development.

It joins Covert Cellars as a tenant in the building. Both are scheduled to be in by spring. The taproom is supported by the Covert Artisan Ales brewery.

That leaves two retail spaces open – an end-cap of 1,945 square feet and a space in between the brewery and the law firm at 1,617 square feet.

“We’re talking to retailers,” said Gregg Brown of NAI Sioux Falls, who is helping market the space. “We’d love a food use, we’d love a fitness concept, a boutique, even a hair salon. Food would be preferable to complement Covert Ales and Monks. And the bigger thing is to attract tenants at Cherapa with an amenity there. A fast, to-go food concept would be great, so we’re working on that.”

The building also includes two apartments above the law firm that are still available to lease.

“They’re almost finished,” Brown said. “They are walk-ups, there’s no elevator, but they have a balcony patio with access on the top floor and all exposed beams. It’s pretty cool. They’re pretty fancy apartments.”

The rents range from $2,550 to $2,950 per month plus utilities.

The area in between Monks and the East Bank Depot is envisioned to become a more lively space, with artwork, lighting and potentially pop-up events with food trucks or live music, Brown added.

“We’ll create some life and activity there and are painting a mural to take up a whole wall.”

The law firm’s old office on Dakota Avenue has been purchased by First Premier Bank and is adjacent to the new headquarters the bank is building at 14th Street and Minnesota Avenue.

“We’ll be razing the building and using it for parking and landscaping,” bank president Dave Rozenboom said. “It takes care of our parking needs into the future and gives us just a little more green space.”

The building is on track for First Premier to begin moving in about a year from now.