SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The state of South Dakota has a purchase agreement that includes cash payment $12.5 million to buy 148 acres in northeast Sioux Falls along Benson Road for a new men’s prison, according to a news release from Gov. Larry Rhoden’s office.
The agreement is an option to buy and it will need legislative approval. The Legislature will meet in a special session on Sept. 23.
The total prison site purchase agreement has a value of $17 million, according to the release. The state explains the purchase agreement as a cash payment of $12.5 million and exchange of the prior considered site in Lincoln County with an estimated agricultural value of $4.5 million.
In July, the state’s Prison Project Reset task force agreed to recommend the state build a $650 million for a new 1,500 bed men’s prison in Sioux Falls.
The site is about 148 acres that border Benson Road. The property is north of Gage Brothers, with North Bahnson Avenue to the west and Sycamore Avenue to the east. It is also south of the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society. The listed owner is TCB LLC.
The site was submitted late in the request for site proposals. A similar site referred to as the Sweetman property is nearby and was submitted in time for the state’s consultant to develop a preliminary site plan.
Officials have said the Benson Road site would have similar costs for site development as the Sweetman site.
“As I mentioned in my last email, the most recent submission, the Benson Road site, was received too late to include in these options, but as it is nearby the Sweetman site we can assume similar cost scenarios for our purposes,” task force chairman and Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen said in a July 3 email to the task force.
