RAPID CITY, SD — At 3pm today, individuals from public and private organizations all around Rapid City gathered in what is currently a grazing field to announce the foundation of Team Rapid City, an organization hoping to push for a “Yes” vote on January 20th’s special election, which focuses on the creation of a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district for the creation of Libertyland and the attached Sports Complex.
“I think so. Many people simply don’t understand what a TIF is,” says Joel Brennan, project manager at Libertyland “It’s easy when people don’t understand it to automatically say no.
The “Destination District” that is Libertyland is set to feature a hotel, dining, entertainment, and a sports complex, but both Sports Complex and Libertyland consider it essential to secure infrastructural improvements at the edge of Rapid City, where construction is set to take place, and so are initiating a campaign of local outreach.
A significant part of this plan is a traditional listening campaign. “Any coffee group or BNI group or organization that would like to get more information, More facts on Libertyland and the Sports Complex, we are more than willing to come and meet them on their time and place,” says David Dolan of the Rapid City Sports Commission, the goal of which is to address criticism of the project and inform the public.
The other major focus however is on the young people of Rapid City. Several young athletes attended the meeting to show support for the project, and over the course of debate going back months in advance of this, that it is not for those building the park and sports complex necessarily, but for those families in need of a place to go to as a family has been repeatedly emphasized. “Joel’s retired and this is something he just sees for the future, that’s what I when they use the word visionary. There’s people looking beyond right now, and that’s what I’m proud to be a part of and hopefully that we can make this happen come January 20th and get the ball rolling,” said Dolan.
Anyone seeking to get more information on this campaign can visit the Team Rapid City website.
Disclosure: Team Rapid City is promoted or affiliated with the HomeSlice Group, the parent company of The Rapid City Post.