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Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) – Chuck Brennan is at it again, this time announcing plans for what is set to become the largest pawn shop in the Midwest just across from the PREMIER Center. The shop will be known as Badlands Paw, Gold, and Jewelry, and is set to open right around Thanksgiving 2015. Brennan has called it the Disneyland of pawn shops, and has a vision of making it a large-scale tourist attraction with a deli, live music, gun shop, shooting range, and even a million dollars in gold on display for tourists to marvel at.
Darrin Smith, Sioux Falls Community Development Director, says today’s announcement is another big win for Sioux Falls, noting that the wide-ranging Badlands Pawn grounds will bring in hundreds of tourists per day, and provide enough experiences to potentially keep them around for a day or two. “They expect tourists and visitors to come from all across the United States, and even locally or in the region, repeat visitors because there is just so much to do. Probably too much to do in one day,” said Smith.
The Badlands Pawn complex will be another cornerstone in what the city is calling the Sioux Falls Sports and Entertainment District. Smith says the district includes the area from Sioux Falls Stadium and the Arena and Convention Center to the Sanford Sports Complex and Elmwood Golf course. “There’s a lot to do in that area” he said. Badland Pawn isn’t the only new development coming to the area, work has already begun on Fairway Suites hotel near Elmwood, and additionally the city of Tea will see a new hotel just south of the district along I-29.
A Sioux Falls state legislator says he is NOT thilled with the plan for the Badlands Pawn development. State Representative Steve Hickey says the money for the new venture "comes from the exploitation of the poor and the elderly". Hickey making reference to developer Chuck Brennan's Dollar Loan Center, which provides payday loans. Hickey has been a vocal opponent of the high interest loan industry, even forwarding a plan to cap interest rates charged to those recieving loans.