UPDATE: My suspicions were correct. I guess the city has already denied a purchase agreement with this guy, and he was trying another approach by going through the media. The rumor was it was denied because the developer doesn’t roll with the developer welfare queens the city normally gives these projects to. I wondered why this wasn’t in SF Bizzo. This from the city;
Yesterday you received a packet from Thomas Development with their proposal for the railyard sites south of 8th Street (Parcels D & E), which is highly irregular as the process does not ask them to send their proposal to everyone and most developers would not want their plans made public. Unbeknown to us they also sent a press release to the Argus Leader, https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2021/09/28/sioux-falls-developer-proposes-more-than-200-affordable-apartments-housing-downtown/5906625001/  which is totally outside the normal process we would expect.Â
As I have mentioned in different meetings with each of you, we have two other parties who are planning to make an offer on this site as well. Under our negotiated sale process they have been notified and we expect to see their proposals toward the end of October. Just wanted to let you know that the process undertaken by Thomas Development was a total surprise to everyone and does not indicate that we are doing anything other than receiving their proposal at this time.
Thank you and please let me know if you have any questions.
Jeff Eckhoff Director, Planning and Development Services
While this isn’t ‘affordable housing’ it does fit into the ‘workforce housing’ category;
If approved, the proposal calls for 54 studio apartments, 104 one-bedroom apartments and 58 two-bedroom apartments, with rents ranging from $795 to $1,005.
I couldn’t find out too much background information on the developer, Tom Andrews, but he has done housing developments like this all over the country. We will see what kind of tax incentives he looks for, either in discretionary, TIFs or a discount on the land like the development across the street got. If he asks for none of these things, I will personally thank him to his face for embracing the free market. But I’m not holding my breath.
Does he follow Amazon around the country?
So, what does it say about us as a society when the drive-thru lane at our new Chick-fil-A has more cars in it, than the gas lines on the afternoon and evening of 9/11?
Does it mean we won the war and can celebrate with some chicken strips, but didn’t we pull out?
Does it speak to how free we truly are? But how free are we, if it was only months ago that some tried to circumvent our Constitution on January 6th, and now we find content with a piece of fast food chicken? Really?
In a time, when some so boldly hold up a “Fxxk Biden” sign at a busy intersection, can we then really say we are free? Or, can we merely say that most likely those in that long line at Chick-fil-A are the fools who just got off duty from holding a “Fxxk Biden” sign at a busy intersection?
Where’s the parking?
So, there was a subcommittee redistricting meeting in Sioux Falls last night. I was impressed. About 70 people showed up. So did the Argus and KDLT/KSFY, but where was the “Big News at 10” KELO?
Mercer films a lot from Pierre about this issue, but only quotes politicians and others with titles. To cover the story, you also need to go to SF, RC, and the reservations. AND, interview citizens, too, who are involved in this process.
I hate to tell the press what to do. I’ve always seen myself as a friend of the media, but you can only be an enabler so long. Trump calls the media fake. They’re not fake, but they can be lacking at times.
Who wants to live beside a busy railroad, under a bridge, next to soup kitchens, homeless street people, flop houses for alcoholics, and where most drug deals happen?
Gotta hold it for Lloyd companies or Cherapa.
You are sadly correct
This is totally on Eckhoff.
What sort of city bureaucrat doesn’t at least host a sit down to lay out the groundwork with this upstart … you know, give him the opportunity to come to the meeting with a little sumpin’ sumpin’, a little vigorish to help, you know, get this proposal off to a strong start?