New Arena for Sioux Falls

[joeboo22]

I really think Sioux Falls has to get its eggs in a basket if they want to keep this tournament in Sioux Falls. I really think now is the time for a new arena. I really think Sioux Falls needs to go big for the future I know it sounds dumb and expensive but I would support a complex like the Civic Center in Rapid 2 arenas other multi use rooms, offices, consessions and a quality hotel all in one complex. Build it on the edge of town so you can build for it. Why stick money in a 46 year old arena? And why does Sioux Falls have to vote on an arena and Rapid City can just have a council vote after they go 6 times over the original budget?

[JACKGUYII]

Re: South Dakota to host Summit League Tourney

The whole discussion with Mayor Munson on KWSN has focused on the need to build a new arena and he still believes it needs to be downtown. They are working on how to finance it. His point is does it makes it make sense to put a lot of money into a 46 year old facility that will not increase seating? What is that saying putting lipstick on a pig or a new dress on a old ...!

[89rabbit]

Re: South Dakota to host Summit League Tourney

Off topic replies have been moved to [link=http://www.sdsufans.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1182981883]This Thread[/link]

[Jacks_NL]

Re: South Dakota to host Summit League Tourney

With the talk of sioux falls need a new event center, here was the proposal of the event center and the rec center

http://www.siouxfalls.org/upload/doc...er/tab%206.pdf

The rec center was voted on in 04 or 05 and shot down by a 2-1 margin. I hope with the tourney now coming to sioux falls will start the talk again about getting a new event center.

[89rabbit]

Re: South Dakota to host Summit League Tourney

Off topic replies have been moved to [link=http://www.sdsufans.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1182983721]This Thread[/link]

[89rabbit]

New Arena for Sioux Falls

I can see it coming. People are going to want to hijack the Summit League Conference Tourney thread with talk about a new Arena for Sioux Falls. So here is a new thread just for that topic.


Go State!

[89rabbit]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

I think Sioux Falls should stick the $150,000 into the Arena to remodel the locker rooms and should spend additional money on anything that is portable to a new arena (say a new scoreboard and video equipment) and then they need to move on and build a new arena.  I would not put it downtown if it was up to me. Since it is not we will see what happens.  


Go State!  

[2002jack]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

I think they should build it on the current site. Where they already have the convention center, hotels, infrastructure, parking etc. Maybe put in a parking ramp first to make up for all the spots you will lose to construction of a new arena. Then build the new arena.

[Haldersham]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

With the results of the election two or three years back, the progressive folks in SF have to be very careful on how they sell the idea of a new area to the electorate. Its how it is to be financed seems to be a big question. I did not hear Mayor Munson on KWSN, but no doubt the idea of how it is financed is a major consideration. I do not exactly recall how it was sold to the voters last time around. Was the it to be financed with sales tax or did the voters have a preception that it would be paid with property tax? The people who sensed a pinch in their pocketbook due to property tax increases were the ones that showed up on election day whether preception was correct or not, they cast the votes and the arena idea went down in flames of defeat.

I think individuals and groups who support a new arena need to make sure they get out and vote themselves and to get everyone they know out as well. Its an interesting issue to be watching. I don't think the Summit Tourney by it self is going to change any non-athletic interested voter. There are a bunch of them in Sioux Falls and they usually vote. The promoters of the new arena need to find a way to off set these people, or the election results next time will be no different if it involves taxation resources.

I have no idea where they should build the new arena. I think they need to be ready to sell this to the voters as unless Denny Sanford has another 400 million to donate, its going to be an election decision. The location site can be worked out after the election.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

One of the big sells was that putting it downtown would revitalize the area and generate new business downtown. This would spur the development of Phillips to the Falls. When people questioned whether there were any independent studies that indicated subsidizing sports facilities/event centers provided more economic benefit than subsidies to any business redevelopment, they were accused of being anti-progressive. Move ahead a couple of years and Phillips to the Falls development is almost completely planned out, based on business plans that do not include a downtown events center. The downtown site continues to suffer from the inability to add additional lanes of traffic into and out of the area. Sixth & eighth streets cross the river immediately to the west of the downtown site. Each street is fully developed, with sixth street built up to the sidewalks. Expanding those roads to the west to get onto Minnesota Avenue is most likely cost prohibitive. Going to the east, both do not intersect with a major artery until Cliff Ave, which is approximately 3/4 of mile. To the north is Weber Ave, which heads to Morrell's and then over to Cliff. To the south, the river cuts off all streets until you have to head east about 1/2 mile and then you can go south to 10th St on Indiana Ave, but it would be faster to stay on 8th to Cliff and then connect at the major intersection of 10th and Cliff.

Or you take up Sanford Health on the land by 29 & 229 with a site that can have adequate infrastructure built into it. If a new event center is going to spur new development downtown, I'm not sure why it wouldn't spur development out there also. That land is also in the city limits, I believe, and therefore any extra tax generated would still go to the city.

Or you can build just north of the current Arena in the north parking lot where infrastructure is much more easily expanded than downtown.

Parking was an issue for some people with downtown site, but most people I talked with thought it was a secondary issue as opposed to whether that was the site that would most likely make the project successful. Funny, that was the same reasoning as to why most people that I know voted against the indoor pool at Drake Springs. They wanted the indoor pool, but thought building half of what was needed and in a spot that didn't seem to make sense, wasn't the best use of their tax money. The people of Sioux Falls want these projects and would support them if issues such as these were addressed. If they are not, the projects will continue to be voted down.

Anyway, that is the way I see it.

[joeboo22]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Here is my view on putting it on an edge of town.

By putting it down town yes you generate money downtown but the majority of the money is money that would of been spent in town anyways. Myself coming from out of town is not going to want to first drive down town then have the unjust of getting out of downtown late at night (im not going to spend any money downtown before or after). I look at Rapid when it comes to an Arena complex. Rapid it is a hassle to get out of and its near the main road in town (if you go through centrals parking lot). By putting it on an edge of town you can develop that area and get more out of town money and have the area set up for the arena and possible expansion later on.

Putting it on the same complex isn't the worst idea (keeping arena, howard wood and the birdcage together) but after going to a meeting in the convention center earlier this month I wasn't overally impressed with the convention center. And the arena is 40 some years old.

[89rabbit]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

I agree 1stRowFANatic.  Sioux Falls has to come up with a single plan and sell that to the people.  You have to demonstrate that you know what you are doing and why you are doing it and how it will benefit the masses.  If you can do that then the people will support a new arena in my estimation.  Tax payer cost obviously is a huge concern and how better to show that you understand that fact then by accepting the Sanford land offer.  It also has the benefits of being in the right place not only for now but into the future.  It makes so much sense to me.  I hope this comes to pass because Sioux Falls is only getting bigger and they need a new arena.

One of the things that I have noticed is how old the Sioux Falls Arena looks.  It was built in 1961, Frost Arena was built in 1973 yet there seems to be more then 12 years difference between the two buildings.  Frost has many years of life left in it while I remember thinking Sioux Falls Arena looked dated back in the 1980’s.  I can only speculate that Frost Arena must have been on the cutting edge when it was built while Sioux Falls Arena was built using a more “traditional” approach.  

It is time for Sioux Falls to look into its future and project its needs for 20, 40, maybe 60 years into the future.  A new arena can do that for them sticking lots of money into their old one will not meet their needs.  It is kind of like a “beater” car when the transmission goes out.  You are going to have to spend a lot of money just to make it work and at the end of the day you still have an old “beater” car.

Finally I hope landing the Summit League Tournament helps open eyes to the possibilities that stand before South Dakota’s largest city.  If they want to be in the running for first class events in the future they are going to need a first class venue.  Sioux Falls got a little lucky this time around (The tourney had already been in Tulsa for two rounds of 2 year cycles) and Fargo was unable to bid due to prior commitments.  In the future you have to think that it will always be at least a three way race between Fargo, Tulsa, and Sioux Falls.  Here is hoping that Sioux Fall’s leaders have vision.


Go State!  

[filbert]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

I'd leave the Arena where it is (convert it to convention/event space perhaps) and build a new 10-12,000 seat arena next door.

Just my $0.02.

[89rabbit]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

I'd leave the Arena where it is (convert it to convention/event space perhaps) and build a new 10-12,000 seat arena next door.

Just my $0.02.

I'm ok with that too.


Go State!

[Jacks02]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

One thing the Mayor noted was that when the Arena was originally built, the population of Sioux Falls was only 55,000.  The population of Sioux Falls is going to pass 150,000 this year.

From http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDet...cfm?Id=0,56031

Sioux Falls is the only metropolitan statistical area in the Midwest to make the US Census Bureau's Top 50 list for population growth rate from July 2005 to July 2006.

The Sioux Falls area, defined by the bureau as Minnehaha and Lincoln counties, grew 2.4 percent during the period.

The area has added almost 26,000 residents since 2000, a jump of nearly 14 percent.

The area's population as of last July was just under 213,000 people. Mayor Dave Munson has said the city itself should hit the 150,000 mark this year.

This PDF talks about future growth estimates for the Metro Area.
http://www.siouxfalls.org/upload/doc...ent_update.pdf

Basically in the last 7 years Sioux Falls Metro has added more than 50% of what the population of Sioux Falls was when the Arena was built and is expected to be over 310,000 by 2025.  Sioux Falls itself is expected to be around 220,000 by 2025, or 4 times the population of when the Arena was built.

Something definitely needs to be done, you can't have a city with a metro population of nearly 1/4 million people served by a 40 year old facility that can only hold 6,000 people.