SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO) — The numbers for the Jacobson Plaza ice ribbon that’s expected to open to skaters in downtown Sioux Falls later in the winter are available after a city council informational meeting on Wednesday.
Skaters will pay $5 for 45-minutes of ice time.
Skate rentals will cost $3.
But it’s the amount of parking spots for those skaters that’s a concern to at least one member of the Sioux Falls City Council.
Underneath the concrete at Jacobson Plaza is a network of pipes that will carry coolant throughout the 14,000-square foot ice ribbon. City Council member Curt Soehl sees the park as a cool crown jewel in drawing more visitors to this area of downtown.
“As you can see, these last 10 years the way downtown has grown, this brings a different element to Sioux Falls,” Soehl said.
But Soehl says he was disappointed to find out during Wednesday’s city council informational meeting about how much parking will be available at the ice ribbon.
“So how many parking spots do we have,” Soehl asked.
“Oh, good question. 45,” Sioux Falls Parks & Rec Recreation Manager Jackie Nelson said.
“Ouch,” Soehl said.
‘Ouch’ because Soehl thinks 45 parking spots aren’t enough to avoid a parking crunch when capacity on the ice ribbon is 225.
“225 people is the occupancy of the ice rink when people are skating, with 45 slots, I don’t see how the math works out,” Soehl said.
But Sioux Falls Parks & Rec says there should be enough available parking nearby, that’s within walking distance for skaters.
“We’ll have the 45 parking spots directly connected at Jacobson. But then, we’ll have all of the new parking ramps within the Sioux Steel District, where people can park and easily walk into the park along with street parking, or the Falls Park connections on the other side of the river,” Nelson said.
Soehl says it’s important that young skaters have closer access to the park during the middle of a cold South Dakota winter. But he says he’s willing to see how parking at the plaza plays out.
“Let’s see what happens in the next few years with the parking and see if we have to make an adjustment,” Soehl said.
Skaters will have to make reservations online to book their ice time. But Soehl says drop-in skating is a possibility during slow times, like during the weekday.
