City proposes steps to secure area around Bishop Dudley Hospitality House

The city of Sioux Falls is proposing changes to the area around the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House.

The city has reached an agreement with St. Joseph Catholic Housing, a division of the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls, to lease the parking lot in front of the shelter for the homeless at 121 N. Indiana Ave.

The first reading on the lease is scheduled for the Sioux Falls City Council meeting on Tuesday.

The city has been working with the diocese’s chancellor “on solutions to improve behaviors of the growing population that occupies that lot throughout the day,” Jeff Eckhoff, the city’s director of planning and development services, said in a memo to the City Council.

“Many are not guests of the BDHH and create issues for the neighborhood, leading to an increasing amount of calls for service by our Police Department. The lease will give us the authority to better manage the site, and once the lease is approved and effective, we will move quickly to fence in the area.”

The ordinance provides for a five-year lease with the option to extend an addition five years at $1 per year. Within the fenced area, Bishop Dudley Hospitality House staff will be able to access about 20 percent of the parking stalls through an electronic gate, “which will greatly add to the safety of their staff,” Eckhoff said.

Significantly, the city and the diocese also agreed to an option that would give the city the first opportunity to purchase the parking lot as well as the building should the shelter decide to leave the location.

“It was the thought of the diocese that should they move from this location, the city would be the best steward of the site to help direct future development,” Eckhoff said.

“The city would not be under any obligation to purchase the property, and price would be determined by the average of two appraisals, one each from each party. In the event the city would decide to purchase the site, that agreement would come before City Council at that time.”

The planning department will manage the lease because of the potential for future development, he said. The city will be responsible for building and maintaining the fence.