I love downtowns. But when it comes to building a new events center in Sioux Falls, my Sioux Falls neighbors aren't so centrally sanguine. Mr. Ehrisman reports a new poll from Nielson Brothers that asks where folks would like to see a new events center. The results:
- Out by the Arena: 40%
- Don't build it: 25%
- Downtown: 19%
- Undecided: 16%
The downtown site gets significantly more support from folks 65 and younger. But wherever it goes, it seems remarkable that a full quarter of respondents challenge the positively phrased question and say no to an events center anywhere.
The preference for the Arena site perhaps reflects the thinking Mr. Elgersma added to my comment section yesterday:
I grew up on a farm one mile from a town of 275. So downtown was all there was. Now in a small city like Sioux Falls I hear this attitude that downtown is the gauge of a city. ...[T]hat is small town talk and mind set. The bigger your city gets the more you will realize that there is more places to shop than downtown. Since the malls came to Sioux Falls we have seen a dramatic change in downtown. It almost died and then it got a new life of its own. Down town just becomes another neighborhood. All your neighborhoods are important [Roger Elgersma, comment, Madville Times, 2011.06.06].
I appreciate Roger's point, that a growing city develops multiple nodes of commerce and culture. Downtown remains my favorite node for strolling, shopping, and socializing. But many more Sioux Fallsians see reason to enhance a different node of the city with an event center.
Arenas and stadiums do not spur development by themselves. Even in big cities, unless there is existing development around them--shopping, restaurants, hotels--people drive to the arena, attend the event, then go back to their cars and drive home.
For example: I can't remember ever going to a local establishment near the Metrodome. We always stayed at a hotel at least half a mile away, and did all our eating, shopping, and drinking on the complete other side of downtown. When we go to Kansas City for baseball or football, we never even stop for gas near the stadium, let alone stay there or shop there.
If the best place to locate the new arena is near Howard Wood Field, then that's fine. However, nobody should delude themselves into thinking that it will magically spur other development there. The existing arena and convention center have been at their current location forever. Has their presence really spurred development at even a fraction of what exists anywhere in southwest Sioux Falls?
The arena area is somewhat blighted... the bus stop and other areas around there are run down, ragged, and there really isn't much there. It's more an industrial / warehouse park area feel than anything else. On the bright side, traveling in and out is easy.
If the downtown site is near Cherapa Place (sp?), that categorization isn't quite accurate. While it's not the Empire Mall (for better or for worse), there are many shops, restaurants, and hotels within easy walking distance. We have stayed at the Country Inn & Suites before, which is right near the area, and within walking distance of all the restaurants and bars on Phillips Ave, as well as the shops, pubs, and restaurants near the railroad tracks (the bakery, Monks, the shops in the railway center, etc.)
Again, I don't really care where Sioux Falls builds its new Arena. Personally, I'd prefer downtown, but whatever the people there decide works best is okay with me (not like they need my blessing anyway). I just wanted to note that the area around Cherapa Place isn't any more "blighted" than the relatively empty, pedestrian-hostile corridor of Russell Street near Howard Wood and the current Arena. Simply building a new arena near the Howard Wood site isn't going to make more shops, restaurants, and hotels magically appear. It just won't. If that strategy worked, those businesses would have already sprung up there in the last 30 years. Instead, we have... Russell Street, for better or for worse.
I'm surprised by the result.
I figured the "Nowhere" would be larger because there is great skepticism it will be self-sustaining and not be a ongoing burden to the taxpayers.
I also figured the Arena site would have more support based on the misperception about downtown regarding parking and traffic flow.
But, even so, I believe the Downtown site is the best site for two reasons:
1) It will generate the most incremental tax revenue (downtown property values will go up while the Arena site will stay the same)
2) It will be more successful as a venue.
Steve Hildenbrand and the "Build It Downtown" crew are doing a great job of systematically informing the public about the four critical issues and it shows by Downtown doing so well and so many undecided.
1) Incremental tax revenue
2) Sustainability
3) Parking
4) Traffic flow
I fully expect when the issue is fully vetted a majority of Sioux Falls will support Downtown. Just as we have campaigns to learn about the issues and candidates, with the passage of time, the public will learn more and become better informed.
I used to live in SF for about 15 years. I think by building the new sports arena beside the convention center is the way to go. There is alot of parking. The traffic flow is alot better. There is a few hotels in the area. shopping is just down the interstate. In the long run this is the best place to put it. Also keep Howard wood field. Once the word is out that SF got the arena people will come to SF for the events it will host. If I know the peole of SF and the poelp responsible for this project peolpe will vote for it.