SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Last year’s zoning ordinance change has spurred a new development plan for a central Sioux Falls corner near downtown.
Johnson Properties and Reynolds Construction Management have applied to the Sioux Falls planning commission to rezone the southeast corner of 18th Street and Minnesota Avenue for a 5-story mixed-use building along Minnesota Avenue, a parking ramp in the middle and 3-story apartment building along Dakota Avenue.
The zoning change would impact the entire southeast block, changing from a variety of single-family, apartment residential and commercial zoning to all midtown mix-used moderate density district. The rezone is planned to be heard during next week’s planning commission meeting with city council approval planned for May 24 and June 4.
It’s exactly the kind of project city councilors believed could be possible in zoning areas considered in Sioux Falls’ urban core – most of the area in between 41st Street to the south, Russell Street to the north, Western Avenue to the west and Cliff Avenue to the east. The city council approved three types of mixed-use buildings ranging from a maximum of three stories, six stories and 10 stories last year.
According to the planning commission staff report: “the site is located on S. Minnesota Ave. and is a prime location for the Midtown Mixed-Use Zoning District. The 5-story building will be pushed up to S. Minnesota Ave., with a 3 story parking ramp adjacent to the east, and finally 3-story apartments adjacent to S. Dakota Ave.” You can view some of the renderings for the mixed-used development above.
The 5-story mixed-use building includes a possible first floor coffee shop and space for another possible commercial tenant along with space planned for the Ministries.
No city officials have commented on this planned project for 18th and Minnesota. The first meeting is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 1.
Last year, outgoing Sioux Falls city councilor Greg Neitzert told KELOLAND News a large number of complaints shouldn’t doom a project when the rules are followed and the proposed project makes sense. He highlighted why future development in Sioux Falls needs to go up, instead of outward, and warned future councilors to show “political bravery when the project is the right project.”
“We’re spending millions reconstructing Minnesota Avenue and this would provide an ability to do kind of a downtown-feel where you’d have a building right up to the street,” Neitzert said. “Urban sprawl is a real issue. Our city is growing very big, it’s very hard to maintain. Using the land that we already have, in the best, most advantageous manner, is something we need to do.”
What is midtown mixed-use?
Mixed-use buildings use commercial space on the first floor and residential space on the floors above it. Adding mixed-use buildings as a zoning option lifted the burden of parking required by city ordinance to developers.
With the midtown mixed-use zoning, there’s a shared parking utilization ratio capitalizing on spots for commercial during the day and residential at night. In the 18th and Minnesota rezone, a parking ramp in between properties is also planned along with underground parking.
Parking has always been a sticking point with any redevelopment projects, but Netizert highlighted parking can be a poor use of land.
“Anywhere we can use the land better than we have now, instead of simply sprawling, is better for the taxpayer,” Neitzert said last year.
Antiques on 18th closing
KELOLAND News spoke with the owners of Antiques on 18th earlier this week. The owners said they believed they were the only tenant remaining on the block scheduled for redevelopment.
Everything in the store is half-off in order to get as much inventory off the shelves before the doors close for good next month.
