Sioux Falls, S.D., leaders are hoping a new hotel and restaurant will turn the city-owned golf course into a travel destination, and will put out a request for proposals on November 22. The city would retain ownership of the 2.5 acres and work out a lease with the hotel owner, which could involve revenue sharing.
Sioux Falls, S.D., city leaders are hoping a new hotel and restaurant will turn the city-owned Elmwood Golf Course into a travel destination, and are taking proposals from interested companies, the Sioux Falls-based Argus Leader reported.
“We’re really excited for what it provides for the Elmwood community and the community as a whole,” said Don Kearney, director of Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation.
The new addition will help draw in travelers, Kearney said, including those from Canada who come south to play when courses there are still covered in snow, the Leader reported.
“We think it really fits with the area and can really see a high demand for people coming and playing and staying,” said Tom Jansa, President of Dakota Golf Management, the company that runs the city’s golf courses.
Community development director Darrin Smith said it would be a convenience to customers and has the potential to attract business travelers and events, the Leader reported.
Discussions about a hotel at Elmwood surfaced years ago as it was identified as a potential site to attract development around the new events center. Assuming the city reaches an agreement, the hotel could be ready to open by spring 2015, the Leader reported.
The city plans to put out a request for proposals November 22. If one is accepted, the city will spend next spring drafting an agreement with a company to build and operate the hotel, the Leader reported.
“This isn’t just another hotel somewhere in town. There’s an expectation it will enhance the golf course and the golfer experience,” Smith said.
The hotel would be east of the golf course, in an area that has been closed this year for renovations brought on by new safety requirements for the airport. The hotel plans fit in well with those renovations, Jansa said.
The city would retain ownership of the 2.5 acres and work out a lease with the hotel owner, Smith said, which could involve revenue sharing. The Elmwood hotel would have between 80 and 100 rooms and would be four stories at the highest, the Leader reported.
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