SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KTIV) -
From the Orpheum Theater, to the Tyson Events Center, downtown Sioux City has a lot to offer. But, city leaders are always trying to improve the downtown area.
That's why the city brought in members of the International Economic Development Council last March to study the city's strengths and weaknesses.
Monday night, panel laid out the results of the study. The good news? The city has plenty of entertainment, distinctive buildings, and plenty of space downtown. But, the panel's 80-page report recommended turning that empty space into urban housing, and possibly a downtown university.
One of the biggest items of interest, downtown business. That's something the city is ready to expand on. Marty Dougherty, Sioux City Economic Development Director, says, "The study does contain some suggestions for the kinds of retail, they think there is 150,000 square foot of retail demand that we could tap into if the right kind of business and retail businesses that we cultivate, those would be more regional or local rather then chains. They have some suggestions for that, so we do think that the right mix of retail is possible downtown as well."
The city would like to expand on the recent additions along Pearl Street. The goal? A brighter future for downtown. Rhonda Capron, City Council Member, says "What we do as a city today is going to effect people five to ten years from now, it's going to effect our kids. This is our one shot. For the casino for one thing, we have to make it, we have to make it wow. Then once you do that, things will get bigger and better."
The study also suggested something the city is working towards, right now... a land-based casino.
