Officials in Sioux Falls want the public to help decide what takes shape on open parcels of land in the city’s downtown. The city purchased the land from Burlington Northern Railway last fall.
City officials are beginning the first phase in developing a plan for the railyard in downtown Sioux Falls.
Earlier this summer the city hired the consulting firm RDG Planning and Design based out of Omaha. The firm is holding two open houses next week to gather public input on what could the space could look like.
Daren Ketcham is the director of community development for Sioux Falls.
“In the coming weeks our community will provide ideas, innovation, and dreams to move our railyard redevelopment to the next step. This is a great opportunity for all those in Sioux Falls to share their vision for how the rail redevelopment will provide yet another anchor in our bustling downtown,” says Ketcham.
City officials say they hope to submit a final recommendation to the city council in mid-October.
Mike Cooper is director of planning and building services. He says gaining approval for the plan is the first of three phases in reshaping the railyard.
“Once that plan has been approved by the city council, then we’ll begin to move to the second and third phases which will be looking at RTPs and actually helping us put together hopefully a proposal that we can accept and begin construction in early ‘18” says Cooper.
The railroad has until fall of 2017 to finish construction of two new side tracks and move out of the space.