City and Friends of Riverline District Announce 2050 Vision
Published on February 05, 2024
Sioux Falls, South Dakota: Today, the City of Sioux Falls, in collaboration with the Friends of the Riverline District, unveiled a visionary plan for the decades ahead, emphasizing the well-being of kids, families, and economic vitality for Sioux Falls.
Lynne Forbes and Natalie Eisenberg, Friends of the Riverline District co-chairs, and several hundred members of the public joined Mayor Paul TenHaken for today’s announcement. They outlined a vision for the Riverline District to include a newer and larger convention center and full-service hotel to serve Sioux Falls for the next 30 years. This site for this future development is land located at Tenth Street and Cliff Avenue.
“I couldn’t be happier today to share this 2050 vision with Sioux Falls,” Mayor TenHaken said. “While we have a lot of work to do before it becomes a reality, it is a vision for future generations, and I’m proud to stand alongside so many community leaders and help kickstart the work. The work to get us to this point has been collaborative—a real One Sioux Falls effort.”
Plans were also announced to repurpose the existing Sioux Falls Convention Center into a publicly accessible indoor recreation and playground center, addressing the community's identified needs for year-round recreation and programming, indoor play, and fitness facilities.
Recognizing the current limitations of the existing convention center, built in 1996 to accommodate a population less than half of today’s, the announcement emphasizes the need for a new convention center to meet current demand, stimulate economic growth, and maintain Sioux Falls’ competitive edge in the convention center industry.
“We know public access to indoor recreation and play space is critical to the quality of life in Sioux Falls, and we also know that our community needs a modern and appropriately sized convention center,” Forbes, Friends of the Riverline District co-chair, said. “This opportunity will drive growth with a full-service hotel, necessary to continue to attract business and family-friendly events to our community.”
While specific details about the scope and scale of investment are pending further studies, the City of Sioux Falls plans to engage the public in the ongoing decision-making process. For more information, visit riverlinedistrict.com.