There has already been talk that the plans proposed for the EC campus could be so big that the changes would have to be voted on by the public, in other words potential bonding.
So what would that include?
Recently I have been intrigued by the fact that the latest data mining EC survey online has been asking people for personal information like voter registration status. It got me thinking that perhaps they want this data to use in a campaign if the changes go to voters for the campus, changes that could include significant changes to the campus in the form of a massive public/private partnership that could cost well over $25-50 million dollars. That could be a retail complex with a hotel attached that could sit on the land where the SF Stadium is now if demolished. But I have NO idea what it could be.
With a survey out there collecting voter data, that tells me they are gearing up for some kind of major campaign and major changes to the campus. Pure speculation at this point, but worth some thought.
I honestly don’t know why they need to ask if you’re a registered voter. They could easily tie your name and email address to the voter file that the country/secretary of state sells if they wanted to use it for political purposes.
It’s probably time for Sioux Falls to admit the baseball stadium isn’t a big asset for the city anymore given the relative lack of interest in minor league baseball and find a way to repurpose the land.
Seems like Sioux Falls’ best opportunity for the land is to add more hotel/convention space so we can attract bigger conventions.
I’d like to look at what the city’s historical debt load by year has been over the last 20 years and what it will look like after the water/sewer project is finished before getting too excited about another big bond issue though. The city’s strong fiscal position should take priority over new speculative projects.
Adding flat floor space for the Convention Center and providing a second on-site hotel will not fix the issue of a lack of airline connections. Something that is required to attract more major conventions.