The city of Sioux Falls broke ground today on Jacobson Plaza at Falls Park, an $18.5 million year-round recreation area downtown.
The project includes a 14,000-square-foot outdoor ice skating ribbon with a warming house, an inclusive playground, a splash pad, an off-leash dog park and other community areas.
City officials said the inclusive playground will be the city’s first and the largest in the region.
Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken was among those who attended the ceremony.
“When it opens, Jacobson Plaza at Falls Park will instantly become a signature park experience not only in Sioux Falls but for the entire region—an experience that will be accessible for everyone," Tenhaken said.
Funding for the project came from public funds like the city’s capital budget and sales tax fund. But it also included funding from private donors, including Garry and Dianne Jacobson, the Lloyd family and T. Denny Sanford.
Construction of the project begins alongside the ongoing construction of the Steel District and phase three of the Downtown River Greenway.
Jacobson Plaza and the river greenway are expected to open in early 2025.