Judge: 'What an incredible waste' to tear down Sioux Falls mansion

Delayed ruling forces postponement of demolition in Prairie Hills neighborhood

A federal judge said it would be wasteful for the city of Sioux Falls to tear down a nearly-completed mansion in southern Sioux Falls. But there may not be any stopping it given a pair of previous court rulings upholding a 2017 demolition order.

“What an incredible waste to demolish a home that’s well into construction,” Judge Roberto Lange said during a six-hour hearing at the federal courthouse in downtown Sioux Falls Friday. “But that’s not the standard the court must apply here.”

However, the owners of the property at 6800 S. Westfield Trail earned a victory, nonetheless, when Lange postponed a ruling for 28 days to consider the facts and arguments in case. The deferred ruling at least temporarily delays the demolition of the property that had been scheduled to occur Monday, Feb. 27.

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