SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — $1.5 million in additional money is going toward Sioux Falls’ controversial downtown parking ramp.
The Sioux Falls City Council passed a resolution to apply the funds 6-1 at Tuesday night’s meeting. Councilor Theresa Stehly was the lone dissenter.
The ramp was originally slated to have a hotel and other commercial development on top of it as part of the Village on the River project.
That part of the development has since fallen through, leaving the city with extra costs to make the site a stand-alone ramp. For example, the city needs more money for rainwater drainage on the top level of the ramp, which will now be open to the elements instead of underneath a hotel.
City finance director Shawn Pritchett told the council all of the costs were necessary to make the ramp functional.
“I think there were questions on how much of this was ‘wants’ vs. ‘needs,’” Pritchett said. “I can assure you all of this is ‘needs.’”
The money will come from parking fees.
The extra money first went up for consideration on November 5. Some councilors bristled at the proposal then, claiming they hadn’t been given enough time to consider the details of the project. They pushed back the vote to Tuesday’s meeting.
In the end, councilors appeared unhappy at the extra cost but agreed it had to be done to salvage the structure.
“This isn’t the last time we’re going to supplement this budget. We’re going to have additional costs,” Councilor Pat Starr said. “But I don’t know how we can responsibly not protect a $20 million asset that we’ve already built.”
