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Nov. 11, 2026 · 6 min read

A new downtown convention center? What's on the table, and what isn't yet

Two local groups are asking Sioux Falls whether it wants a modern downtown convention center. There's no site, no price tag and no plan to pay for it yet. Here's what we know, the questions still open and two open houses where you can weigh in.

You may have seen the slogan. "More visitors means more for Sioux Falls."

It's the start of a new push for a modern downtown convention center. And right now, the people behind it say they want to hear from you before anything is decided.

So here's the plain-words version. What's being proposed, what isn't settled and how to weigh in.

Illustration of a modern convention hall with a glass lobby, a hotel tower, the older convention center beside it, visitors with lanyards and a map pin with a question mark

The short version

  • The idea: Build a modern convention center downtown, near hotels, restaurants and things to do.
  • The current one stays. The Sioux Falls Convention Center on West Avenue would keep hosting trade shows, ag events and local gatherings.
  • Who's leading: Experience Sioux Falls and Forward Sioux Falls. Both are private groups, not the city.
  • Not decided yet: Where it would go, what it would cost and who would pay for it.
  • Your turn: Two open houses, Thu. Nov. 12 and Wed. Dec. 2.

Why now?

The current convention center opened in 1996. Sioux Falls has roughly doubled in size since then.

The organizers say we're losing events to other cities because we don't have the space, or the walkable hotels and restaurants, that bigger conventions look for. Pheasant Fest brought more than 35,000 visitors in 2025, and Experience Sioux Falls says organizers won't come back without better facilities.

The Arena, which often handles overflow space, is also near the end of its useful life.

Teri Schmidt, who leads Experience Sioux Falls, put it this way to Sioux Falls Simplified: "Frankly we're just being left in the dust."

The case they're making

Illustration of visitors with lanyards and rolling suitcases walking past a downtown hotel, restaurant and shop

These numbers come from the organizers and a study they cite, so read them that way.

  • Sioux Falls had about 3.4 million visitors in 2025, supporting more than 10,000 hospitality jobs.
  • The goal is to grow from about 20 regional conventions a year to an average of 100, with 450,000 attendees.
  • A market study by Johnson Consulting estimates more than $235 million in economic impact over the first five years, and the equivalent of 278 full-time jobs.
  • Visitor spending already brings in more than $126 million a year in state and local taxes. The Chamber says that works out to about $1,462 per household.

The pitch is simple. More visitors spend more money here, and that money helps pay for parks, pools, libraries, streets and public safety.

The questions still open

Illustration of a downtown map with dotted circles and a question-mark pin, next to a price tag reading $? and a stack of coins

This is where it gets interesting. A lot hasn't been answered yet.

  • Where would it go? No site has been picked. The city already owns about 7 acres east of downtown, near 10th Street and Cliff Avenue, bought for $8 million in 2025 for the Riverline District plan. Smithfield's plan to move its plant could also free up land downtown, though that move depends on a permit the city is reconsidering.
  • What would it cost? The organizers haven't released a number. An earlier study for the Riverline plan put construction at $225 million to $250 million. That estimate is more than a year old.
  • Who pays? Not decided. If public money or city land is involved, the City Council would have a say.
  • Can two convention centers both stay busy? It's a fair question, and one the organizers will need to answer.
  • Will voters weigh in? The earlier Riverline plan called for an advisory public vote. Whether that still happens hasn't been set.

How we got here

This isn't the first try.

Timeline: the Arena opens in 1961, the Convention Center in 1996, voters approve an events center in 2011, the Premier Center opens in 2014, the Riverline plan in 2024, land bought and the plan paused in 2025, and a new start in fall 2026 with open houses Nov. 12 and Dec. 2

In 2024, the city proposed moving convention space downtown into a new Riverline District and turning the current building into indoor recreation. The city bought the land. Then, in October 2025, the committee working on it hit pause. Its chair, Council member Rich Merkouris, said it didn't make sense to keep going "until we know we have strong community support for a convention center vision."

This new effort is different in two ways. It keeps the current convention center open. And it's led by private groups instead of the city, which means it isn't covered by the public meeting rules a city committee would follow.

That's one more reason the open houses matter. They're the public's best chance right now to see the plan and ask questions.

How to weigh in

Illustration of neighbors at an open house, with a board of sticky notes and speech bubbles

Thu. Nov. 12, 7 to 8 p.m. Sioux Falls Convention Center, 1201 N. West Ave. Presentation at 7:20.

Wed. Dec. 2, 6 to 7 p.m. Downtown Library, 200 N. Dakota Ave. Presentation at 6:20.

Both are free and open to everyone. Same presentation at each, so pick the one that works for you. You can also learn more at moreforsiouxfalls.com.

A few questions worth bringing:

  • Where would it go, and why there?
  • What's the price tag, and how much would come from taxpayers?
  • How would it work alongside the current convention center and the Premier Center?
  • How will what we say at these open houses actually shape the plan?

Both dates are on the civic calendar, and we'll track every step on our new convention center issue page.

Full disclosure: I serve on the Downtown Sioux Falls board, one of several groups involved in downtown planning. Downtown Sioux Falls isn't leading this effort, and these are my own notes.

Big decisions go better when more of us are in the room early. This is early. Let's show up.

It's always been our city, and now is our moment. Let's rise together.

Sources

Vince DanhCommunity builder, storyteller, and Sioux Falls' unofficial hype man.

Have a tip or a story idea? Email issues@risingtogethersf.com.

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