SOURCE: KELOLAND Media Group
The nicer weather continues to draw more people to Downtown Sioux Falls, a place where more people are looking to not only visit or work, but also as a place to call home. As the residential demand grows downtown, many new developments are popping up.
“This project started about three years ago,” Legacy Development Vice President Daren Ketcham said.
A brand new four story apartment complex has made a big change to the city scene at 3rd and 12th in downtown Sioux Falls.
“There was an old office building on this site previously, so our company started thinking about what’s the best use to kind of revitalize this are,” Ketcham said. “We’ve come up with this beautiful 87 unit apartment complex right in the heart of downtown; it’s been a great addition to the neighborhood.”
The 3rd Avenue Lofts are just down the road from another new residential addition to the area surrounding the Sunshine Grocery Store, just a short walk from Phillips Avenue.
“I think a lot of people really like it because it’s downtown and you’re really just one or two blocks away from the heart of downtown,” Property Manager Lacey Schmeling said.
This pocket neighborhood has some other, older apartment buildings, creating a quiet corner of downtown living.
“I love that its not right down at the shops because it’s nice and quiet but I’m still within walking distance of everything,” 3rd Avenue Lofts resident Alisha Schlichte said.
Schlichte just moved into her brand new apartment in the 3rd Avenue Lofts last month.
“I wanted to live downtown because I also work downtown so I love being close to work, there’s all these shops,” Schlichte said.
Schlichte is one of many younger people looking to live downtown, but this new residential area has a wide appeal.
“It’s a huge age range,” Schmeling said. “It’s from 21 to 65, so you have the younger groups who really want to get the downtown scene and then retirees who want to be able to come downtown and visit their favorite shops and be able to walk and see everything.”
Schmeling said the new development is filling up well, even though it started leasing in April right in the middle of the pandemic.
“We really had to rethink our whole marketing and our whole way of approaching people, doing video tours, more 3D tours, working on doing leases online, working on connecting with people on a level they’re comfortable with,” Schmeling said.
The 3rd Avenue Lofts hope this new project will lead to other re-development in the area, including drawing in more commercial businesses.
“We’re very proud of this project and think its going to be a catalyst for additional development in the area,” Ketcham said. “We are looking at additional property in the are to look at other opportunities with different land owners in the area to keep this area going with other opportunities downtown.”
