North Sioux City, SD land sale inches Graham Airpark Development closer to reality

NORTH SIOUX CITY, SD (KTIV) - A land sale of around 95 acres between the Graham Airpark Development and the North Sioux City Economic Development Committee has advanced the runway project forward.

According to a news release issued on Friday, Sept. 23, Graham Airpark Developer Stephen Jones said, the land sale is a “huge” step forward to building a public-use executive airpark with a 6,600-foot runway in southeast South Dakota.

“With the support from the State of South Dakota, we are excited to see this monumental leap forward,” said Jones, “this investment from the state into North Sioux City will continue to pay dividends to all of us long into the future.”

The Graham Airpark is a planned community development project that will be built around a public-use runway at Graham Airfield.

The news release stated, plans can be found at www.grahamairpark.com, with the building site options surrounding the runway to be published soon.

“This will allow large corporate aircraft and general aviation to have the ability to call southeast South Dakota ‘home,’” said Jones.

The development is set to break ground in the Spring of 2023. The $17 million capital investment for Phase 1, includes developing the runway, west taxiway, and 24/7 landing systems that will face a two-year construction build out with an estimated completion date sometime in 2025.

As part of this land transaction, the Graham Airpark will contribute around 120 acres to the City of North Sioux City for the new levy, to construct a nature path, and green space barrier around the perimeter of the Graham Airpark in its entirety along the Big Sioux River allowing for the current trail system to expand.

The first sub-neighborhood of the Graham Airpark’s master plan has been named the River Bend Business Park.

There will be a public forum for the airport project at 5:30 p.m., Nov. 1, at Graham Airport, 824 State Hwy. 105, North Sioux City.