Sioux Falls plans to buy westside wellness center as part of $77M bond facing council vote

Sioux Falls plans to purchase the Sanford Tea-Ellis Wellness Center as part of the city’s aquatics bond, totaling a $77 million project that will be one of the last things the current city council vote on.

Mayor Paul TenHaken made the announcement Wednesday morning, saying the 70,000 square foot center would be one more step toward increasing the city’s indoor recreation space — a weakness of the city that is intended to be buoyed by these projects, as well as the proposed renovation of the city’s existing convention center as part of the Riverline Center project.

Sanford Sports President Steve Young said should the sale be approved, nothing would change operationally at the center for six or seven months, and that Sanford would continue to lease a space in the center for physical therapy. Sioux Falls would take over the center no later than Jan. 1, 2025.

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He added the plan did not affect the Oxbow Wellness Center.

The total purchase price of the Tea-Ellis Wellness Center is about $9 million, TenHaken said, which is less than the $15 million appraisal price. TenHaken said Sanford’s support for things like the Riverline Center project and the increase in recreation space accounted for the discount.

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The rest of the $77 million bond comes from $47 million for the renovations to Frank Olson Pool, $18 million at Kuehn Pool and another $3 million in improvements to the Tea-Ellis Wellness Center upon purchase.

Final neighborhood meetings around the Kuehn and Frank Olson portions of the aquatics bond will take place later in April, with a Sioux Falls City Council presentation expected on April 30 before the council takes a vote on the bond on May 7 and May 14, shortly before the city’s new councilors begin their terms on May 21.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sioux Falls plans to purchase westside Sanford wellness center