See what's next for the downtown River Greenway

Megan Raposa -

Simplified: The city is ready to go to bid for the next phase of the downtown River Greenway thanks to the help of a $750,000 gift from Lloyd Companies. Here's a look at what's to come.

Why it matters

  • The city has been working to add trails, recreation and more along the Big Sioux River since the first greenway plan was adopted in 1975. The latest phase of redevelopment runs downtown near the under-construction Steel District development.
  • With the latest donation, the project will now include "Lloyd Landing" – a gathering space adjacent to both the river and the Steel District.
  • Craig Lloyd said the name was inspired by his recent reading of local history book "City of Hustle." He noted that in the early days of Sioux Falls, immigrants would get off the train in that area of downtown and go on to stake their claim.
"It became a landing spot, so we thought it was appropriate to have a landing as a stepping stone for what's going to happen downtown in the next 100 years," Lloyd said.

Tell me more about the greenway

Features will include a plaza area with a shelter, seating, artificial turf, an art sculpture and a selfie station.

"In the future we see food trucks, bands or even yoga classes being held in that space," Parks and Recreation Director Don Kearney said. "It's another gathering space that takes advantage of the beauty of the Big Sioux River and the upper falls."

The total cost for the project is $16.5 million, with the city funding $15.75 million and the rest coming from Lloyd Companies.

Here are a couple more renderings of what it will look like when completed:

What happens next?

The river greenway project is expected to go to bid this summer – just before the Jacobson Plaza project goes to bid, Parks and Recreation Director Don Kearney said.