City of Sioux Falls looking for support for Vision 2050

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.(KELO)- Sioux Falls city officials have unveiled Vision 2050…now they’re beginning the process of getting citizens behind the plan.

It’s a bold plan to build a large, new convention center on the east side of downtown.

Terry Schmidt of “Experience Sioux Falls” says it’s overdue.

Nothing is set in stone, but the plan is to build a new convention center with an attached hotel, and convert the existing convention center into indoor recreation space.

Mayor Paul TenHaken says the plan meets a lot of different needs.

The plan will also be expensive…starting with 8 to 9-million dollars to buy the land near Tenth and Cliff.

The City of Sioux Falls has nearly doubled in size since the 1990’s.

So have its needs.

Terry Schmidt of “Experience Sioux Falls” says that’s especially true in the area of convention facilities needed to host large groups.

That’s part of the reason behind a plan to build a new Convention Center and adjoining hotel on the east side of downtown.

In 1996 the Sioux Falls Convention Center was welcomed as a great facility to host large meetings and conventions.

In 2024, convention planners say it’s too small to meet their needs.

Enter Vision 2050 – unveiled by city officials earlier this week.

Now, city Parks and Rec Director Don Kearney says it would help meet the needs for indoor recreation.

Kearney says the city currently only has ten-percent of the recommended amount of indoor recreation space for a city of 200-thousand.

Converting the facility to indoor recreational space is part of Vision 2050…which calls for building a new, larger convention center in the downtown area.