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MJ1986, I just checked the link and find it to be very interesting and exciting. It would be neat to see architectural renderings of what will go into the development. I am sure that there will be quite a hoopla in the Argus Leader about this.
It would not surprise me that future developments in Sioux Falls and other places may follow this model, even on a scaled-down version due to a desire of community and developing more pedestrian friendly neighborhoods. The city is in the process of updating its zoning oridinances and would like to see job centers be incorporated in with residential development with neighborhood commercial centers (as opposed to a strip of businesses like 41st St.).
The more compact communities, which are friendlier on the environment and requires less use of automobiles will become more favorable in an era of higher gas prices and a desire for community as opposed to seculusion (common in late 20th century suburbian ideals).
I read the article in further detail and from what was described in the article of the plans. It reminds me somewhat of some mixed use developments in other places. One that I find neat is Zona Rosa in NW Kansas City. It is like a shopping mall that looks like a main street with restaurants, stores such as American Eagle, PacSun, and the like with a Dick's Sporting Goods nearby. On top of a number of the stores are loft apartments. There was an Irish pub/restuarant that was good and overall a neat experience. It is a neat area and for some odd reason really like the Kansas City area along with Missouri. Something similar to this in southeast Sioux Falls would really liven up the eastern part of the city and compliment well with proposed commercial and residential that will mushroom in the area in the next few years. I will check the examples listed in the article regarding similar centers and get back to the thread.
The proposal for mixed use community is getting me excited. MJ1986, very good thread.
The examples given by the article, in full detail in the Wednesday version of the article gives examples of New Town in St. Charles, MO and Birkdale Village in Huntersivlle, NC. Both look neat. With Falcon Heights, the proposed development in Sioux Falls, I think that they should incorporate the Sioux Quartzite in a number of their buildings. Many of the older buildings in Sioux Falls and Dell Rapids are made out of Sioux Quartzite (coming from areas north and east of Sioux Falls) and I think that this stone is neat and is a unique building material from the area. A downtown theme mixed with houses that look like older homes would be neat with ponds and cobblestone streets. If not cobblestone streets, then cobblestone trails.
This is off on a tangent. Although a bumpy ride, I find cobblestone streets to be neat and find them in plenty of towns (normally along main streets) in Kansas. I can remember seeing them in Osborne, KS and Arkansas City, KS.
This is off on a tangent. Although a bumpy ride, I find cobblestone streets to be neat and find them in plenty of towns (normally along main streets) in Kansas. I can remember seeing them in Osborne, KS and Arkansas City, KS.
NW Kansas, including Osborne, Cheyenne, Gove, are some of my favorite parts of the state with spectacular buttes and panoramic views. Did you see the historic Osborne County courthouse with the fantastic architecture? It is nice that you can still go to some places in the US and feel like you are out on the frontier again
Back on topic: I like what they are describing for the proposed Sioux Falls development. The HUGE advantage this metro has is that it can start building these mixed use contemporary developments instead of falling behind the curve like large sprawling commuter oriented metros. Sioux Falls is a young metro area, and has the advantage of seeing what has and hasn't worked in other metros.
While this is great news for Sioux Falls and South Dakota in general, it literally means nothing unless they already have fully locked and secured funding, full zoning approvals and so forth. They may have large parts of those in the works, at least enough to make the announcement, but really, until there is equipment on site and digging going on, the plug could be pulled at any time.
Valid points, blackhillsdreams. In the article, it mentions that the project would be developed over 10 years, which is a good indicator that the project will be done in phases. I also hope that the project works out.
With financing and handling the nitty gritty details, the developer may need to partner up with a national developer to line up tenants for the big box stores. A few miles north in Dawley Farm Village (a sizable commercial/office/residential development), Lloyd Companies has Opus, who has experience with developing shopping centers similar to the proposed one in the Dawley Farm development, to work with attracting tenants and with getting the commercial area set up. Lloyd is an established property company but having an expert in shopping areas to help with the development will give the project legs and they have been going through the zoning and preparation processes in the past year.
I would forsee small segments of the project going up in the next year or two, but will see more to come when SD 11 gets widened from 26th St. to 57th St. area a few years down the road.
If the national economy rebounds in the next year or so, the project will have very good odds of turning from a dream to realitiy. If not, it might take awhile and done in phases to be economically feasible.
Funding is beyond tight everywhere these days. Check out this clip of a German broker saying they "expect the US and Europe to go into a depression and be bankrupt"...
The hosts of the interview seemed to try to dispute what he was saying but not by disagreeing with the possibility of a depression, but by saying the man didn't seem to have a good idea of anywhere to put your money at all.
Why all of this doom and gloom? Enough with the worrying and ulcers. Yes, there are concerns and problems now, but there can be hope with vision and a bit of hard work. Whoever gets elected nationally will need to get the fiscal house in order on a national basis. I personally think that we need to make some hard choices. If we go our current track over time, depression and bankrupcy is a possibliity. But there is hope and we have to figure out ways to straighten the mess out and it will take a comibnation of ideas from both the Democrat and Republican parties, becasue neither party has a monopoly on good ideas (sorry Republicans). It is better to get the thread back on topic and focus on the issues instead of eventually turning the thread into a pie throwing contest.
To get back on topic, the funding for the Falcoln Heights may not be easy for the time being. But if it is built in phases and the ideas are well thought out (including a way to pay for the project), I am confident that the project will have a good chance. It may face hurdles, but the challenges will encourage the developer to do the project sensibly.
The project has potential and will be a good asset to Sioux Falls. The fundamentals of the local economy in the Sioux Falls area are still strong, even though people are a little more cautious right now (and that is understandable). The economy in this area is a bright spot in the country right now and is holding its own. We in South Dakota and Sioux Falls should feel fortunate and proud.
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