Seven-story parking ramp opens in center of downtown Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls newest parking ramp is open and operating.

The 525-stall, seven-story ramp that's been under construction for more than two years opened earlier this month, Sioux Falls Parking Manager Matt Nelson told the Argus Leader on Friday.

"It’s 100 percent open," he said.

To date, the city has sold 280 leases for the ramp. And spaces are available by the hour to the general public.

Nelson said the majority of the leases sold thus far were drivers who'd previously been using the First Avenue Ramp or the Block 11 Ramp, both of which sit within a few hundred feet of the new ramp.

Unlike other ramps downtown where vehicles stop at a gate and grab a ticket before entering, the new ramp uses "smart technology" and pay stations to collect parking fares and track violations.

Calling it "friction-less parking," Nelson said scanners at the entrances read licenses plates and alert parking attendants if someone parks in the ramp without paying.

Like the other ramps and metered spaces downtown, parking is free during weekend and evening hours at the latest downtown parking ramp.

Originally planned to be a mixed-use complex with hotels and commercial space built around and on top of it, the facility now sits as a standalone ramp with no immediate plans to incorporate private elements.

That's because in April of 2019, the city terminated its private development agreement with Village River Group, the formal name of the project investors who had previously promised more than $50 million in construction for their portion of the project.

More:Village River Group needs more time to decide if it will sue over failed parking ramp deal

The city of Sioux Falls spent about $22 million for the parking ramp portion of the project.

Negotiations between the city and Village River Group are ongoing.

Sioux Falls Finance Director Shawn Pritchett said as of now, the city considers the new parking ramp like any other project nearing full completion. He said a few final construction items need to be crossed off before final payments are made to the contractor, at which time the project will be considered fully complete.

"We’ll work on closing it just as we would any other construction project at this point," Pritchett said.