'Bind our hands': Riverline District backers questioned about convention center commitment

City of Sioux Falls vows heavy public engagement before moving ahead with identified redevelopment plan

Officials with Friends of the Riverline District, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation and the city of Sioux Falls attended a briefing on the redevelopment project Tuesday at Carnegie Town Hall, including city urban planner Dustin Powers, SFDF’s Mike Gray, and Friends of the Riverline co-chairs Lynne Forbes and Natalie Eisenberg. (Joe Sneve / The Dakota Scout)

City Hall will commit to getting a convention center built on land dubbed the Riverline District before taking ownership of an $8 million parcel east of downtown Sioux Falls.

But officials involved in the years-long project that calls for redeveloping more than nine acres say plans could still change after more public engagement.

The mayor’s office this month is asking city councilors to sign off on an $8 million budget allocation that would be used to buy the majority of land included in the proposed Riverline District, where not only a convention center is conceptualized, but hotels, restaurants, bars, and other entertainment offerings.

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