BROOKINGS (11-12-26) — Earlier this week, the Brookings City Council voted to hire engineer and consulting firm HDR, Inc. to study and produce designs on converting the Downtown Armory into a park-like Third Space. Earlier designs presented to the council a few months ago suggested closing Front Street to maximize space at the property.
City Council Member Lisa Hager said closing Front Street is just one possibility… “There are no for sure things with respect to that. That was something that they included in that initial design, I think just because of the nature of what we were asking to see from a potential proposal. So, using this entire space to its, you know, most (potential) — what could that look like? And so, I think they naturally did look at closing Front Street. I know there were some initial conversations with the Fire Department about, could some changes be made at that corner at Third Street, and they were open to those possibilities.”
She said the city will evaluate traffic and safety considerations before making a decision on Front Street… “And I know a lot of residents really like that road — being able to bypass going through downtown — but it’s also one of the locations where folks can get going really, really quickly. And with the pedestrian traffic downtown, that’s also a concern. But again, we want to actually have the data. We want to have the studies that actually tell us some of those things rather than just anecdotally making decisions. So that is something that will get considered — and citizens can, of course, have input on.”
City officials say additional public meetings will be held to gather more public feedback on the project.
Engineer and consulting firm HDR, Inc. also helped prepare the city’s recently updated Master Transportation Plan and Safety Action Plan.
The city’s website contains a page with links to more information on the Downtown Armory project: https://www.cityofbrookings-sd.gov/940/Downtown-Armory-Project
The city’s “Scope of Work” agreement with HDR, Inc. can also be viewed at: https://cityofbrookings.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=16120429&GUID=8902E253-CAC0-4980-B2EB-DB69A73620FC
Both the Brookings Area Transportation Plan and the Brookings Area Safety Action Plan are posted at https://cityofbrookings-sd.gov/884/Brookings-Area-Transportation-Plan
— Brookings Radio News
