The Sanford District
On February 16, 2026, Smithfield Foods, alongside the State of South Dakota, City of Sioux Falls, and Sioux Falls Development Foundation, announced plans to stay in Sioux Falls and invest in a new state-of-the-art facility at Foundation Park, presenting a generational opportunity for Sioux Falls and South Dakota: opening over 100 acres adjacent to the city’s namesake: Falls Park.
Upon Smithfield’s exit from their current site and execution of a purchase agreement, the FADC will become the owner of the property. Thanks to a $50 million gift from philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, it will be known as the Sanford District.
The Sanford District marks the most significant redevelopment effort in Sioux Falls history, requiring multi-entity coordination and collaboration to guide master planning, community engagement, and eventual site redevelopment. The work is expected to be completed in four phases over the next several years with the Sanford District Advisory Task Force specifically assembled to guide the work in phase one:
Framework
Phase 1: Foundational Elements (Spring 2026 – Spring 2027)
- Establish Sanford District Advisory Task Force
- Study best practices and case studies of large, significant redevelopment areas
- Conduct site visits of case studies reviewed
- Provide recommendations on Phase 1 objectives:
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- Recommend the Sanford District’s organizational structure
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- Recommend financial strategies
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- Recommend approach to lead master planning
Phase 2: Master Planning and Community Engagement (anticipated to begin Summer 2027)
Phase 3: Property Acquisition and Cleanup (anticipated to begin 2029+)
Phase 4: Property Redevelopment (anticipated 2030+)
Sanford District Advisory Task Force
Members of the Phase 1 Sanford District Advisory Task Force are listed below, with Scott Stern, former Commissioner of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and South Dakota businessman, serving as chair. Members represent a diverse cross-section of Sioux Falls industries, including development, real estate, government, civic engagement, financial services, and non-profits. Task force members will participate on a voluntary basis and will not be paid. Their work in phase one will be recommended actions to the Falls Area Development Corporation board, who will make the final decision on how to proceed to the following phases of work.
The FADC seeks to begin the master planning process with the community in the summer of 2027.
Sanford District Advisory Task Force Members:
Scott Stern, Mark Cotter, Todd Ernst, Lucas Fiegen, Brandon Hanson, Vaney Hariri, Shawn Pritchett, Jessie Schmidt, Keith Severson, Jennifer Sigette, Roger Weber, Anita Wetsch, and Kadyn Wittman.
Sanford District/Smithfield Redevelopment FAQs
On February 16, 2026, Smithfield Foods, alongside the State of South Dakota, the City of Sioux Falls, and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, announced plans to stay in Sioux Falls and invest in a new state-of-the-art facility at Foundation Park, presenting a generational opportunity for Sioux Falls and South Dakota: opening over 100 acres adjacent to the city’s namesake: Falls Park.
Upon Smithfield’s exit from their current site and execution of a purchase agreement, the Falls Area Development Corporation will become the owner of the property. Thanks to a $50 million gift from philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, it will be known as the Sanford District.
The Sanford District marks the most significant redevelopment effort in Sioux Falls history, requiring multi-entity coordination and collaboration to guide master planning, community engagement, and eventual site redevelopment. The work is anticipated to be completed in four phases over the next several years.
The Sanford District will be over 100 acres.
The Falls Area Development Corporation (FADC) will acquire the Sanford District property at the time of closing with Smithfield. FADC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which acts as the redevelopment arm of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, bridging the gap between industry job growth and urban revitalization.
A thorough, comprehensive master planning process, alongside the community, will determine what types of buildings and uses would best utilize the Sanford District property, making it premature to speculate at this time what will be built. Community members can participate in the master planning process during the community engagement phase, anticipated for the spring/summer of 2027.
Smithfield Foods at its current location has been part of Sioux Falls for over 100 years. This site and its redevelopment are important to the community. Exact uses and redevelopment plans of the site will be determined through a comprehensive master planning process, alongside the community.
Any redevelopment activities on the current Smithfield site cannot take place until Smithfield has vacated their property, which is expected in 2029 at the earliest.
The primary focus of the Sanford District Advisory Task Force is the redevelopment of the Sanford District; however, the task force acknowledges the importance of considering and recognizing adjacent properties that should be part of discussions, like Falls Park, the former downtown Sears site, and the Whittier Middle School area.
The Sanford District marks the most significant redevelopment effort in Sioux Falls history, requiring the collaboration of many entities and organizations. First, a thorough, comprehensive master planning process needs to be completed alongside the community, to determine desired uses at the Sanford District. Site preparations of the existing site will need to occur before redevelopment can begin, which will be dependent on a variety of factors. It’s expected the development of the Sanford District will take multiple years.
You may submit your ideas for what you’d like to see included in the future Sanford District using the form below. Responses will be stored and incorporated into the master planning process. Additional opportunities for the community to provide input will be available during the community engagement phase of the master planning process, anticipated for the spring/summer of 2027.