SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — On the low end, it could result in $90 million in improvements, while on the high end it’s $130 million.
Those figures are part of the city of Sioux Falls’ new “The Falls Park Master Plan,” which will be unveiled to the public during an open house Thursday evening. City officials and Jon Jacobson of Confluence, the consulting firm that worked on the master plan, gave media an early rundown of the plan on Wednesday.
Jacobson shared the low and high end improvement figures, but stressed the private partnerships are part of the expectation to help pay for improvements.
The plan, he said, “could take 30-plus years to fulfill.”
The plan has “big ideas. The intent is not to make all the improvements at once,” said Mike Patten, the city’s parks and recreation project manager and planner.
Right now, the city is working on Jacobson Plaza, which includes an ice skating rink, playground and other items. This is a $16 million project paid for by the city and private partners.
The next step would likely be focusing on the farmers market area of Falls Park, Jacobson said.
These are two examples of specific improvements. The overall plan will include ideas for traffic circulation, all-season programming and preserving the history of the park.
More than 30 years ago, the city set out to transform Fall Park, Patten said. “The popularity of the park has exceeded all expectations,” Patten said.
Patten said the park’s popularity started with the extension of Phillips Avenue.
Data from Experience Sioux Falls shows the park has about one million visitors per year.
The new master plan will result in another “transformational change” for Falls Park, Patten said.
Jacobson said Falls Park already has a national reputation as a destination park. Under the new master plan, it could reach signature status like Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan, New York, or Golden Gate park in San Francisco, he said.
The park serves as a neighborhood park, a destination park and a regional park, Jacobson said.
The news master plan preserves the heart of the park, such as leaving green spaces open, with adding to the visitor experience such as a a new bridge over the falls, Jacobson said.
The open house for the master plan is from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Startup Sioux Falls’ Marketbeat Theater at 100 E. 6th St.
