Future of Howard Wood

[JACKGUYII]

Interesting perspective from Stu http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...Id=personaDest

Argus Leader article on vision of new Howard Wood. That stadium would look nice at the CAS site.
http://www.argusleader.com/article/2...0318/1001/news

[Nidaros]

Re: Future of Howard Wood

If Sioux Falls could get some Federal stimulus money, maybe this project might get off the ground. Seems like the Fed was looking for shovel ready projects, but has that time came and went?

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: Future of Howard Wood

If Sioux Falls could get some Federal stimulus money, maybe this project might get off the ground. Seems like the Fed was looking for shovel ready projects, but has that time came and went?

Since no one has even agreed on a site there is a zero percent chance this project would be shovel ready.

I also believe there is a zero percent chance of stimulus money being spent on a project like this. Most if not all (correct me if I'm wrong) stimulus money that has been spent on building projects has gone to infrastructure type stuff such as road, bridge, new border stations, etc.

[Nidaros]

Re: Future of Howard Wood

Since no one has even agreed on a site there is a zero percent chance this project would be shovel ready.

I also believe there is a zero percent chance of stimulus money being spent on a project like this. Most if not all (correct me if I'm wrong) stimulus money that has been spent on building projects has gone to infrastructure type stuff such as road, bridge, new border stations, etc.

I think you are absolutely right. It was kind of a tongue in cheek comment. I hope tongue in cheek comments are not considered 100 per cent smack.

[JACKGUYII]

Re: Future of Howard Wood

I'm not sure there is any kind of consensus on this topic. My gut or maybe personal opinion is that people want Howard Wood to get the money budgeted by the school board for renovations to take place at the current location. If they can't accomplish building a new Events Center at current Sports Facility location based on lack of space for parking than I believe the downtown location will garner support again. A referendum for a new events center and expanded convention center is the only thing that might pass a public vote. If they go ahead with proposing to tear down Howard Wood and try to build a new football stadium with all the bells and whistles and seperate track facility this thing is DOA.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Future of Howard Wood

OK, time to throw out my totally uninformed-about-what-is-possible opinion again. If it is going to cost this much money, lets take a look at putting that money towards helping Smithfield build a new plant at I-90/229 and using the Morrells/Stockyard site for a new event center. Big roads already lead to the site, lots of area and parking lots already, by the falls (but the smell would be gone), have the possibility of keeping the Morrell jobs for a much longer period of time, HW stays where it is at. My guess is the problem is that it would probably triple the price tag of what they are talking about now.

Just build the event center somewhere.

[Jacks-02]

Re: Future of Howard Wood

OK, time to throw out my totally uninformed-about-what-is-possible opinion again. If it is going to cost this much money, lets take a look at putting that money towards helping Smithfield build a new plant at I-90/229 and using the Morrells/Stockyard site for a new event center. Big roads already lead to the site, lots of area and parking lots already, by the falls (but the smell would be gone), have the possibility of keeping the Morrell jobs for a much longer period of time, HW stays where it is at. My guess is the problem is that it would probably triple the price tag of what they are talking about now.

Just build the event center somewhere.

Building a brand new meat packing plant would probably cost more than the event center will, and you'd still have to pay for the events center...

[filbert]

Re: Future of Howard Wood

Airport board flags stadium plan:

Besides its proximity to one of the airport's runways, a new sports complex just west of the airport could distract pilots on game nights, the Sioux Falls Regional Airport Authority said at a Thursday meeting.

[DakotaKid]

Re: Future of Howard Wood

OK, time to throw out my totally uninformed-about-what-is-possible opinion again. If it is going to cost this much money, lets take a look at putting that money towards helping Smithfield build a new plant at I-90/229 and using the Morrells/Stockyard site for a new event center. Big roads already lead to the site, lots of area and parking lots already, by the falls (but the smell would be gone), have the possibility of keeping the Morrell jobs for a much longer period of time, HW stays where it is at. My guess is the problem is that it would probably triple the price tag of what they are talking about now.

Just build the event center somewhere.

I said that exact same thing for years, they could develop the area with Falls Park. There is a lot of room for parking, a couple hotels, and foods joints. Lots of pluses short and long term, also could help the downtown folks. The packing plant would be spendy but Smithfield would pick up most of that. There are a few things the city and state could do to make this attractive to Smithfield.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Future of Howard Wood

I think it could have worked, if they started 20 years ago.

[zooropa]

Re: Future of Howard Wood

I wonder what it would cost to demo Morrells & remediate the undoubted contamination issues in the soil there...............

I seem to recall, back in the Pavilion vote days that it would cost $500k to demo the old Washington High School. Friend told me the 8th & Minnesota house that got chopped up and moved was a $50k demo job.... (which, BTW, is how you could tell Hagen--or whoever--didn't have a buyer/tenant for that property--they were only offering $10k to move the house).

Millions in site prep----plus the subsequent pressure to do something about the water treatment settling ponds across Cliff ('limeland') and the old stockyards facilities.

Not to mention the likelihood of public resistance to doing Smithfield a favor----and that assuming that Smithfield wants a new facility (I've heard an assortment of rumors about why they keep the Sioux Falls & Sioux City plants open-------the meat packing industry is seemingly run by an old-boy network of SDSU grads).

Would be a great idea if the existing stuff wasn't so huge and old and privately owned.....

Heck, IIRC, cost of moving the switchyard out to Rice & Timberline is supposed to be $25M