New donation to enhance landscape, add overlook at Jacobson Plaza

A new donation to Jacobson Plaza will bring additional landscaping, a new scenic overlook and potentially more play equipment to Falls Park West.

Lead donors Garry and Dianne Jacobson are partnering with Rob Everist on a $2.65 million donation through the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation.

It will cover all design and construction for connective pathways, green space, landscaping, drainage and utilities.

“We’ll be really happy to have it 100 percent done,” Garry Jacobson said. “We just want people to enjoy it and use the place. The community was great to me and my family, and we want to be great back.”

The Jacobsons helped kick-start the overall private-public partnership to develop the area, including a fully accessible playground, ice ribbon, splash pad and dog park.

“Garry was really instrumental in getting that going, and this is the last piece of that whole area between all the way from downtown through Levitt through The Steel District and down to the Falls,” Rob Everist said. “I got with Garry, and we said let’s just finish it up and get it done. It just completes the whole area.”

The new addition will be called the Everist Family Overlook.

“It’s just north of The Steel District and basically gives you a perfect view of the upper Falls,” said Tory Miedema, city park development specialist.

“And then, we’re taking out the switchbacks as you go underneath the railroad bridge and will grade that out to get an ADA pathway through and a direct connection from that overlook into Falls Park proper.”

A middle area between the Jacobson attractions and the riverfront will be landscaped “to make it more usable just as a flexible space where you can do just about anything,” Miedema said. “There’s a pretty decent grade going from Steel to Phillips, so we’ll be flattening that out a bit and providing some additional connections there.”

There also will be a plaza developed south of Second Street that will serve as the new home for the city’s Christmas tree.

If the budget allows, additional play equipment will be added to Jacobson Plaza too. The plan is to add another zip line because it has been a popular feature, as well as another large merry-go-round-style play feature. Jacobson hopes to cut down on the lines of kids waiting to use the attractions.

“There will be some minor expansion to the south to get that other (zip line) bay in, but overall it’s about the same footprint,” Miedema said.

Usage has been “amazing,” Jacobson said. “It just makes it worth it. I think it’s going to be a fabulous thing for the city and the downtown area to bring people in from a lot of places. It’s fun when you walk through the parking lot; you see a lot of out-of-state cars.”

The city’s contribution to the project will be limited to construction administration and geotechnical testing.

“This gift helps complete the vision of Jacobson Plaza, connecting it to The Steel District and creating the Everist Family Overlook as yet another great feature,” said Mary Kolsrud, chief philanthropy officer for the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation.

“Families and visitors already love this park, and we are grateful to the Jacobson and Everist families for continuing to expand it and make it a downtown destination.”

The plan is to start construction this spring and finish it by fall.

In the meantime, Jacobson Plaza will start transitioning the skate ribbon for the spring and summer season.