Sioux Falls, SD (KELO-AM The City of Sioux Falls on Monday announced that it now owns the downtown rail yard, closing on the purchase with BNSF Railroad. The city used some $27 million in federal monies to buy the prime chunk of real estate.
“The City of Sioux Falls officially owns ten acres of land with unlimited potential smack-dab in the heart of our city,” says Mayor Mike Huether. “The work of so many has paid off, but now we need to make the taxpayers of America proud as we develop this land.”
The purchase agreement removes the majority of the rail yard in downtown and provides more than ten acres of property for redevelopment. BNSF will retain two mainline tracks through the downtown area to maintain their rail operations. The City will take full possession of the property in two years, once BNSF completes construction of new siding tracks north of Rice Street and west of Timberline Avenue.