SOUTH DAKOTA STRAIGHT TALK

Sioux Falls has wonderful news today.

Upstaging this report on the finalization of the Preliminary Development Agreement between the City and the Uptown Development Group is the announcement of the Colossal Generous Gift (with enormous growth for Sioux Falls) to create Sanford Health with the attendant push for world class and world changing research to emanate from Sioux Falls.

The announcement of Sanford Health aside, the conclusion of the Uptown Deal is significant. Bringing 500 housing units, dining, retail, and a hotel with the attendant upscale amenities will continue to help transform the City’s Central Core. With Cherapa Place, East Market, the continued development on Phillips Avenue, the new Dunham development on 9th and Minnesota, and yes even the extension of the “government campus” (with the purchase of the Bus Station property) on North Dakota Avenue – Sioux Falls is transforming.

Go Kermit – I was particularly pleased to see that Councilman Kermit Staggers is on board with the Uptown development. Almost gushing Kermit said "When this project is completed, we'll probably have one of the finest downtown or uptown areas of any community in the Midwest," "It's something we can be very proud of."

Perhaps the curmudgeonly Kermit will now take a fresh look at what we really need to assure for our City, A New Events Center – One That Is Downtown. I have written about what’s happening in Sioux City and today there is a story in the "Rapid City Journal" reporting of calls for an expansion of the Rapid City Civic Center. Maybe the Sanford and Uptown developments will push Kermit and other Events Center opponents to revisit their positions.

Sidebar – I hope to write more on the Sanford Health development later but needless to say not only does this have a great potential to help humanity, be a huge economic development for Sioux Falls and South Dakota, but has the potential to put Sioux Falls on the National Map in a Significant Way.