SiouxFalls.Business: Lake Lorraine developers ready for ‘very busy year’
The co-developers of Lake Lorraine now have a literal bird’s-eye view of the property.
When they aren’t catching a glimpse of a pair of bald eagles on the manmade lake, they’re seeing construction all around them.
Van Buskirk Cos., which is entering its fifth year partnering with Friessen Development on the property, recently moved its office to one of Lake Lorraine’s newest buildings.
“We needed to get our people together,” Mike Van Buskirk said.
Growth had caused the 50-person team to be divided among multiple offices. The new space at Lake Lorraine offers an improved work environment, with three meeting spaces and the efficiency that comes with having everyone in the same place.
And even if the developer hadn’t moved its office here, odds are the staff would have been spending plenty of time at the property south of 26th Street and west of Interstate 29.
More national retail is preparing to open as offices, town houses and hotels are in various stages of construction.
“It’s going to be a very busy year,” Steve Van Buskirk said. “A lot will be coming out of the ground.”
Retail, hotels getting ready
A long strip of national retailers will be complete in the next few months, as DSW and Kirkland’s are set to round out the mix of shopping options at Lake Lorraine.
DSW is hiring for managers and full- and part-time sales staff.
The store is expected to open in mid-March.
Kirkland’s will follow on the end of the retail center along I-29 and is expected to open later this spring.
Van Buskirk already is working on attracting the next group of retailers to the development. A new building being marketed is 32,000 square feet between Hobby Lobby and the Aloft hotel that will break ground soon and open next year.
Another building near 32nd Street and Marion Road also is expected to start construction this year and will include food and retail.
A second hotel also likely will be announced soon. This one will be on the north end of the development and also is scheduled to open in 2019.
“What they’d like to see and what we’re showing on our site plan is a restaurant next door, and the vision is to have the restaurant connected,” Steve Van Buskirk said. “It won’t be the same operator, but they can provide services to the hotel and work off the conference space.”
Office building filling up
Van Buskirk also is amassing neighbors in its new office building. An Edward Jones office is opening on the first floor, where about 1,000 square feet is left.
Sola Salon Studios opened its second Sioux Falls location upstairs. Franchisee Steve Schoepp has 14 out of 25 chairs filled and three potential leases in progress.
“It turned out very nice. We’re very pleased,” he said.
The design uses the latest Sola model and is a modern-looking layout of individual salon suites for hair and spa services.
“There’s a lot of excitement going on here (at Lake Lorraine) and within another year, year and a half, it will be a really happening area,” he said. “And the girls that are up here really like it. Everyone compliments how much they like it up here.”
Van Buskirk is working with another tenant to take much of the remaining second-floor space. If that deal comes together, there would be about 1,2000 square feet left.
“But we’ve got people talking, so hopefully we’ll knock it out,” Mike Van Buskirk said.
Barn quandary
Developing a property that has been family-owned for decades still presents an opportunity to preserve the past.
The Friessen family is contemplating what to do with a 1,500-square-foot barn that dates back to the 1930s and which they inherited when they bought the property in the 1970s.
Options include remodeling it, potentially for a development association, or demolishing it and using part of the wood in a new structure.
They’re hoping the public weighs in on uses for the property through Facebook.