Simplified: A $15 million donation from the Bezos Earth Fund will help the city revitalize a quarry east of Falls Park into a new destination downtown. Here's what we know so far.

Why it matters

  • Mayor Paul TenHaken announced the donation Tuesday morning in front of the water-filled quarry on the east side of Weber Avenue just south of where East Falls Park Drive turns into East Stockyards Place.
  • Sioux Falls is one of eight communities to receive money in this round of grant funding from the Bezos Earth Fund, a global effort to invest in projects that help restore the natural world. TenHaken told Sioux Falls Simplified folks working with the fund proactively reached out to the city and encouraged them to apply for funding.
  • The grant announcement is a final victory for TenHaken, whose term was set to end next week (pending the resolution of the mayoral election recount). During the eight years of TenHaken's term, the city's park system saw more than $90 million in private investments.
"We can transform this blank canvas into a beautiful green space," TenHaken said. "This project simply would not happen without (the Bezos Earth Fund's) investment."

Tell me more

The quarry was initially constructed in the 1880s after Congress appropriated funding to build a prison in Sioux Falls to serve the Dakota Territory.

  • Stone from the quarry was used in a number of buildings including the prison, the Old Courthouse Museum, Jones Seed Co., Washington High School (now the Washington Pavilion), the Milwaukee Freight Depot (now Startup Sioux Falls) and more.

The site has sat untouched for decades, and the goal is to use the $15 million to transform the quarry into "The Quarry at the Falls" – a destination where residents can explore trails, access the water and find community gatherings.

What happens next?

Once the grant funds are officially accepted by the City Council, the city can start the design process. The current master plan includes plans for an urban fishery and an adventure course in that site – and there'll be more community input on what the final project includes.

The grant is expected to go before the parks board later this month.