Southeast Sioux Falls is ‘blowing up,’ especially this neighborhood

If you haven’t been out in the southeast corner of Sioux Falls recently, it’s worth a drive.

The area around 41st Street and Veterans Parkway in particular is seeing a surge in new residential developments, especially as both the Sioux Falls and Brandon Valley school districts look to open new buildings nearby.

It’s also near the site of the city’s newest fire station, and easy interstate access is in the near future after the state last fall approved plans to connect Veterans Parkway with Interstate 29. The interchange with Interstate 90 opened late last year.

Ben Reifel Middle School, part of the Sioux Falls School District, is on track to open this fall.

As those amenities come, the houses are following suit.  

“People are seeing that movement,” said Paul Westra, a builder with Ronning Cos. “They’re seeing that all kinds of new cool stuff is coming out there, and they really want to be a part of that.” 

And both developers and city planners say the growth will just keep coming.

If you’re looking for a house in that neighborhood, Westra said you’ll have to get in line. The 260-acre Ronning development opened about a year ago, and in that time the company has sold all the homes it has built, with some selling before they’re finished. 

“We’re selling probably one to two houses over there a week,” Westra said. 

Ronning’s residential development has a long way to go too. Westra estimates 10 percent or 15 percent of its land out there is developed, meaning many more houses are on the horizon. 

More homes are planned a little farther east in the coming years as well. Empire Homes has 50 acres on the southeast corner of 41st Street and Six Mile Road. 

It’s a cornfield now, but in three to four years, vice president Brady Hyde said it’ll have 225 residences. Those will be a mix of town homes, twin homes and single-family homes, he said. The plan is to break ground this spring in the hopes of having foundations starting late summer and final homes around the beginning of next year. 

Even the city planning office is impressed with the growth in that area. 

Senior planner Jason Bieber said the neighborhood is “blowing up” as more and more houses are built. 

“They’re building houses fast,” he said. “They don’t even sit on the market. You put a sign in the yard, and they sell.” 

A big draw to the area, Bieber said, is the Brandon Valley School District. 

Brandon Valley saw its biggest addition in students this past year, Superintendent Jarod Larson said, and with Inspiration Elementary School slated to open this fall, he expects that growth will continue. 

“I really think there’s incredible value in having families that want to come to a place because of the school,” Larson said. 

That strengthens the school system and the community, he added, and it ultimately helps students become successful because of those strong supports. 

As the new schools open and homes fill with families, the next several years also are likely to bring more commercial development to the area. 

“I think over the next five years you’ll start seeing some gas stations and maybe a restaurant,” Bieber said. 

The neighborhood is also a quick drive to Dawley Farm Village, which continues to see more retail stores, restaurants and services. 

In the meantime, developers and builders are working hard and fast to keep up with the number of families eyeing the neighborhood. 

“We’re just trying to keep up with the demand,” Westra said. “There’s a lot to be excited about over there.”