Council approves rezoning and vacates 19th Street to enable Trey Ministries redevelopment after neighborhood debate

The Sioux Falls City Council approved a rezoning for property at 1020 South Minnesota Avenue and separately adopted a resolution vacating West 19th Street on Dec. 2, actions intended to clear the way for a Trey Ministries campus that would include a two‑story office, 36 apartment units and a retail corner.

Jason Bieber of Planning and Development Services described the rezoning proposal and noted that the east side of the site already had historic‑preservation approval for a three‑story, historically‑styled apartment building. The rezoning (second reading) moved the property from Midtown Mixed‑Use and other districts into live‑work and commercial neighborhoods to allow the proposed mix of apartments, office and future retail.

Neighborhood speakers sharply criticized a revised plan they say shifted from the earlier promise of a five‑story mixed‑use, pedestrian‑oriented project to a lower‑profile design emphasizing surface parking and space for drive‑through or auto‑oriented retail. Resident Zack DeBoer said the updated plan "moved our neighborhood in the wrong direction" and urged council to vote no on the rezoning and the related street vacation.

Developers and Trey Ministries supporters responded that the earlier, taller mixed‑use plan proved financially infeasible. Paul Reynolds and Doug Bourbon argued the campus would provide 36 apartments to support young adults served by Trey Ministries and would be a central, walkable location for their programs. Supporters said staff, the historic review board and multiple neighborhood meetings informed the design and that the proposed building footprint extends into the area created by a vacated 19th Street.

Public Works representative Kurt Poppel explained the vacation process and confirmed easements would be reserved for drainage, utilities and mutual access; staff also described the state petition process that requires signatures from adjoining property owners before a vacation petition advances.

Councilors discussed traffic, emergency access, the city’s right‑of‑way vacation policy and the long neighborhood engagement history. After debate, the rezoning vote passed (recorded as 6‑0 where noted) and the street‑vacation resolution passed 6‑0. Councilors emphasized that approvals do not guarantee construction; rezoning and vacation enable the developer to pursue site plans and building permits under the conditions described by staff.