The Dakota Scout

The Dakota Scout

Share this post

The Dakota Scout
The Dakota Scout
Riverline District dreams won't be cheap
Sioux Falls

Riverline District dreams won't be cheap

New Sioux Falls convention center, developments will be nine figures

Jonathan Ellis's avatar
Jonathan Ellis
Feb 16, 2024
∙ Paid
2

Share this post

The Dakota Scout
The Dakota Scout
Riverline District dreams won't be cheap
Share

Sure, go ahead and dream. Dream big.

But at the end of the day, Sioux Falls City Councilor Greg Neitzert warned, be realistic about how you pay for those dreams.

That was the message he and others delivered this week to backers of a proposal to redevelop an area dubbed the Riverline District – a segment located near 10th Street and Cliff Avenue. The Friends of the Riverline District – a group of business and civic leaders charged with finding the best use for the roughly 8.5 acres – presented their vision to the Council on Feb. 13. 

NEWS: Lawmaker fails to garner support for adding anti-collusion language to state law

The lynchpin to that dream is a new convention center. With it would come a hotel or two, as well as restaurants and mixed-use development that would connect the area with downtown. Currently, that area is detached from downtown because of busy traffic viaducts and the Big Sioux River.

While nothing is going to happen to the river, planning is under way to revamp the viaducts. That could open opportunities to better connect the Riverline District with downtown. 

But for now, Riverline is a dream. The next steps to verifying whether dream can translate to reality hinges on the City Council approving an agreement with Johnson Consulting, a global firm that specializes in real estate assessment with an eye toward the convention, sports and hospitality industries.

NEWS: 'Compromise' in South Dakota's ongoing pipeline battle offers county tax in exchange for preemption

NEWS: Back to the drawing board: Dignity dispute settled between artist, South Dakota governor's office

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to The Dakota Scout to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 The Dakota Scout
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share