I was told recently that the building that holds Mercato and the former Lucky Lady Casino on the Loop has been purchased by a local investor. There are no plans that I know of at this point except that they will likely bulldoze it and start fresh.
It is in the early stages, but this will likely be a great re-zoning test model for mixed-used retail and mixed-use affordable and middle income housing. I would encourage the Strongtown folks in SuFu to approach him about building density.
I do know that the investor that bought it has a great track record in this community and will likely work with the neighborhood to create something that fits appropriately.
I’m going to request the media in Sioux Falls ask one simple question of all newly announced council candidates;
‘Were you recruited to run, and if so, by whom?‘
The friends and family line just doesn’t cut it for me.
While us local political nerds know full well who is recruiting candidates, the public does not.
While I have ZERO issues with the mayor and current city councilors helping candidates with advice I think it is completely unethical for a sitting mayor (that has 2 years left on his term) or councilor to be recruiting, raising money for, publicly endorsing and consulting on a campaign.
Today I got an interesting observation texted to me by another city political nerd about the blatant disengagement of the new city councilors and the current ones with their foot out the door which I of course nicknamed ‘cruise control government’.
When our city council turns into patsies for the administration all vestiges of open government will be lost.
Joe Kirby said it best, “The mayor’s office has become authoritative.”
“We’re able to move projects forward that we otherwise would have to wait several more years to be able to complete without those extra private dollars,” Beck said.
While it may seem I am opposed to private/public partnerships, I am not, the LINK is a great example of one. Where I get worried is when some rich donors in town DETERMINE where they are going to spend this donation. I have often said those donations should go into the general capital fund for the parks system and have the councilors and public determine the best use of those dollars. You still get your tax write-off and better yet citizens get programming they want! As I have said in the past, I have never heard a single citizen, child or organization tell me that what this city really needs is an ice ribbon, which helps me to draw the conclusion that the DONOR decided we needed this and NOT the public. I think we can continue to do private/public partnerships, but the taxpayers need to be engaged and involved in that process so we can truly get what we want and need instead of being told what we need.
ORIGINAL POST
After watching the presser below, it reminded me of the Kmart commercial about ‘shipping drawers’.
Mr. Jacobson spoke about his donation today (made me wonder if some IRS auditors were in attendance) to the ice ribbon. (I wonder if it will be closed if it is too cold like Great Bear does?)
He rambled for awhile about his donation and all of his old buddies that gave money, then he said something that kind of stuck in my craw;
“Shawn (finance director for the city) really worked with us to find the extra money, he would find money in the bottom drawers.”
I don’t think Mr. Jacobson intentionally intended to offend the taxpayers of this city, who fund 99% of this city, but he did.
Apparently the taxpayers of this city who are FORCED to match a rich person’s tax write-off donation are thought of as the ‘bottom drawer’.
Mr. Jacobson, whether your comment was intentional or not, as a taxpayer of this city who funds your ‘dreams’, I am certainly the TOP DRAWER, and never forget it.
On a positive note, the Jacobson’s actually started an endowment also for the ice ribbon’s operation and maintenance, probably won’t cover it 100% but it was a nice touch to their donation.
A lifelong Sioux Falls resident, Basye, 28, is an active member of Downtown Rotary and Sioux Falls Sales and Marketing Executives and is involved in the S.D. Change Network through the Bush Foundation. She’s also a graduate of Think 3D’s Leaders of Tomorrow program.
I just find it interesting that she was working for a lobbyist group a little over 2 months ago and now all of a sudden is a council candidate. Not sure if she is a PTH recruit, but it sure smells like it.
As we watch the sh!t storm in DC that is a full throated cluster we don’t need to look to the East, it is occurring right in our town.
I asked the question not long ago, ‘What has TenHaken finished as mayor?’
I will give you the short answer; Nothing
Even his mentorship initiative, that I fully supported, was handed off to the Helpline center with a line item for taxpayers.
He knows how to win elections, raise money and even get others elected, he just doesn’t have a clue of how to lead.
Paul cut his teeth in the political world helping Republicans get elected in his former life, he is a partisan hack, and that is all he knows.
I wouldn’t even classify him as a Republican when I compare him to the likes of Staggers, Stehly and Brekke.
He is an authoritarian businessman that only cares about the green.
The most hilarious part is running a city isn’t really that difficult unless you have a natural disaster to deal with or a mass shooting, but that is also part of the job.
Your duties as councilor or mayor;
• Make government documents and information as open as possible (state law allows local government to determine what information they want to release, I will give you a clue, ALL OF IT. The only thing that should be hidden from the public is personnel files and pending litigation.)
• Collect taxes (but do it in a fiscally responsible manner. I was astonished at the informational meeting today when the city council made this recommendation for legislative priorities. Fiscally responsible bodies actually find ways to cut taxes.)
• Provide infrastructure and services with the taxes provided (I’m a pretty bare bones guy when it comes to how taxes are spent. I think we should only collect enough fees and taxes to have a balanced budget (minimal borrowing) and spend it only on NEEDED public services and infrastructure and let the entertainment and welfare developers fend for themselves. Just look at the millions we have thrown at parking ramps, etc., while we have virtually NO inventory of first time homes or more affordable new housing. If you think the housing crisis is bad now, wait until a year from now when our population growth will bottom out because there is NO place to live in Sioux Falls.)
Jerry Seinfeld said it best, “You know how to take the reservation, you just don’t know how to keep the reservation.”
l3wis 
