Proposed Capital Program Addresses Community Needs, Plans for Future
Published on June 28, 2024
In accordance with the City Charter, Mayor Paul TenHaken released the proposed 2025–2029 Capital Program today, ahead of the release of the proposed Fiscal Year 2025 Budget. Mayor TenHaken will present the proposed budget and Capital Program during a special meeting on July 25, 2024, at 3 p.m. at Carnegie Town Hall.
The proposed 2025–2029 Capital Program totals $1.1 billion with $253.4 million of investments planned in 2025 alone. The program makes significant investments in public safety, street and utility infrastructure, and park improvements.
“As we prioritize the projects in this program, we follow core principles of balanced and responsible budgeting while managing to current market conditions and setting our sights on where we want our community to go,” said Mayor Paul TenHaken. “Just like our residents continually reprioritize where they spend their money based on their personal circumstances, the City follows the same practice to stay fiscally responsible as stewards of the community’s tax dollars.”
The proposed five-year program plans for the construction of the 13th fire station in the northeast part of Sioux Falls in 2026, construction of a police report-to-work station in east Sioux Falls in 2028, and an investment of $25.4 million in fire and police vehicles and other safety equipment for these two public safety departments.
The largest portion of the program is dedicated to highways and streets, which is historically the case. Nearly $500 million is planned for investments in roads in Sioux Falls, which is a 9 percent increase from the previous five-year program. These funds will be invested in the rehabilitation of more than 680 blocks of roads in neighborhoods in 2025 while also supporting the work of our partner in the South Dakota Department of Transportation. The SDDOT plans to invest almost $810 million in and around Sioux Falls from 2024 through 2027, almost 60 percent of that within Sioux Falls city limits. The proposed five-year Capital Program commits to the arterial street network construction critical in moving several of those projects forward, including South Veterans Parkway, the 85th Street and I-29 Interchanges, and the Cliff Avenue and I-229 Interchange.
This proposed five-year program addresses the community’s foundational needs while also planning for several transformational initiatives that will impact and elevate the community’s quality of life and economic vitality. Within the program, the City is planning for the issuance of the aquatics and recreation bond, which is proposed to bring new indoor and outdoor aquatics experiences specifically for the aging facilities at Kuehn Park and Frank Olson Park. The process for the aquatics and recreation bond started with the City Council’s approval of the Parks and Recreation System Master Plan in 2020, which highlights data of what our community identifies as high priorities, which includes outdoor and indoor aquatics, indoor playground, and indoor recreation space.
This proposed Capital Program will use entertainment tax funds to acquire eight acres of land near Tenth Street and Cliff Avenue, which takes the next step in the bold 2050 vision cast for the Riverline District. This includes a newer, more modern and larger convention center along with repurposing the existing Sioux Falls Convention Center into flexible public indoor recreation space.
“As stewards of public funding, we thoughtfully and strategically prioritize investments based on the funding available, the plans of our partners, and opportunities that present themselves,” said Mayor TenHaken. “We hope City Councilors recognize the positive momentum in our community and the incredible possibilities we have in front of us in Sioux Falls.”
The full 2025‒2029 Capital Program can be viewed online at siouxfalls.gov/finance/capital-programs.