Neighbors living by the Sioux Falls Arena are reacting to the proposal to build a new events center out there.
The convention center neighbors we spoke with on and off camera say they're happy their area might be the spot for the proposed events center. Monday night the city announced the results of the economic impact analysis, which pointed to the convention center site as the preferable choice to the downtown location.
Dan Young's lived in this neighborhood for 13 years. He's happy to live by the arena and says an events center out here would be great too. He says, "I think it's a good deal for the city.">
And a few blocks away at Rosie's Cafe, employees and customers agree with Dan. Rosie says, "everybody agrees, it should be out here, because of the parking situation mostly." She says traffic will flow more smoothly on this side of town than downtown.
Dan says neighbors out here are already used to living by a spot with heavy foot traffic. He says, "they come to their cars and drop their stuff, sodas and beer cans."
And the noise is something you definitely notice. Dan says, "Howard Field, they shoot off fireworks, then you've got the Fourth of July over here, so it's like living in Baghdad."
In fact, Dan says, he wouldn't mind if an events center developed his neighborhood even more. He says, "more restaurants, bars and probably another hotel."
But Rosie's been here for 27 years. She saw the arena and convention center go in and hasn't seen the area build up too much since then...she has doubts the events center would do that. Rosie says, "possibly, I suppose, but it's a very residential area, people have lived out here a long, long time," and only time will tell what's going to happen out here.
