Bi-Weekly roundup
What news caught the most eyeballs or stirred up the most trouble?
New buildings are 👷♀️ under construction on what used to be a parking lot, and this isn’t your typical sidewalk pop up stuff - we’re talking a mixed use combo with multiple functions. In the building closer to Property Meld, they’re building a standalone 🍨 ice cream shop
Right next door, there’s a three story building going up with a 🍻 pub on the ground floor, office space on the second floor, and a couple of apartments on the third floor.
Yep. 1876. The same year Colorado became a state and the Black Hills Gold 🪙 Rush was in full swing. Rapid City started as a small settlement along Rapid Creek, and 150 years later, we’re sitting at a population of roughly 80,000 residents, making it the second-largest city in South Dakota. Be on the lookout for various city celebrations 🕺💃 and check out the displays at City Hall and the Journey Museum.
I had so much fun these past few months working on becoming a Cardinal’s Guard in the Seraphim Theater’s production of “The Three Musketeers”. There was laughter, sword fighting, plenty of geek and nerd references, and 6 amazing performances that had audiences clapping and laughing. I am excited for my next production! See more about the Seraphim Theater in the Local Business Highlight.
The City Had Meetings…
Public Works Committee Meeting (March 10, 2026)
Traffic Signal Study: The committee approved advertising a request for proposals for a traffic signal optimization study to address issues on Omaha Street. The State Department of Transportation is funding nearly 82% of the cost, while the city's traffic engineering budget will cover the remaining 18%.
Legal & Finance Committee Meeting (March 11, 2026)
Airport Expansion Financing: The committee advanced a resolution to schedule a public hearing regarding the issuance of up to $15 million in sales tax revenue bonds. These bonds will help finance the next phase of the Rapid City Regional Airport's terminal expansion. Leveraging the city's strong credit rating is expected to save the airport between $2.5 and $2.6 million in interest costs over the 25-year repayment period.
TIF Success Report: The Finance Director presented a report demonstrating the economic impact of Tax Increment Financing (TIF). Dissolved TIF districts, which originally had $210 million in project costs, have generated nearly $4 billion in increased property valuation, accounting for 38% of the city's total assessed valuation.
One Heart Lease: The City Attorney confirmed he is drafting a mandatory notice to One Heart that their lease will not automatically renew at the end of July. The city is in the process of scheduling meetings with stakeholders to negotiate and hopefully resolve the lease for the future.
250th Birthday Bash: The committee discussed a Memorandum of Understanding with Visit Rapid City to allocate a $250,000 investment toward planning the "Real America Birthday Bash". It was also confirmed that the parks department has already signed a contract with a fireworks vendor.
City IT Emergency (Initial Report): The IT Director requested emergency funding after a primary cooling fan motor failed in the city's server room over the weekend, requiring staff to temporarily cool the room with a "barn fan". The director explained that replacing the local servers with a fully cloud-based system would cost far more than fixing the current room due to massive data storage requirements.
City Council Meeting (March 16, 2026)
The Downtown Summer Nights Vote: The council held an extensive public hearing where downtown business owners and residents argued the event relocation would disrupt regular business and youth programming, while event organizers argued a delay would end their season. See more on the Deep Dive below!
City IT Emergency (Final Approval): The council officially approved declaring emergency repairs for the server room. The IT Director reiterated to the full council that moving 100% to the cloud is not financially viable because the city backs up 40 to 70 terabytes of data daily, largely driven by police camera video storage.
Parks & Recreation Improvements: The council authorized bidding for two major Vision Fund projects. The first is an estimated $2.7 million redevelopment of Knollwood Park, which will add walking paths, restrooms, lighting, and play equipment. The second is a $900,000 project for Phase 3 of the Bocce Complex, which will add restrooms and complete the site's upgrades.
The Deep Dive
The Return of Summer Nights….the drama unfolded 😳
Summer Nights returns in 2026
It was canceled in 2025
City Council vote: 4–4 deadlock
Mayor Jason Salamun broke the tie with a YES
👉 Translation: this thing barely made it back.
📍 What changed this time
New location: Kansas City Street & 6th Street
Still includes road closures + beer sales
Alcohol license was the key vote that pushed everything forward
First concert is scheduled for May 28, 2026
👍 The “Pro” Side (Why people want it back)
1. It brings people downtown
Big weekly turnout
Boosts visibility and foot traffic
2. Community vibe
Free concerts, family-friendly
Seen as something that “brings people together”
3. Economic upside (for some)
Some businesses report higher sales on event nights
Tourism + local spending bump
Bottom line:
Supporters see it as a downtown energy machine.
👎 The “Con” Side (Why people are pushing back)
This is where things get spicy.
1. Road closures = business disruption
Streets shut down early
Parking restrictions all day
Harder for customers to access nearby businesses
2. Direct competition with local businesses
Beer sales at the event compete with nearby breweries
Some breweries can’t even sell their own product during it
3. Communication complaints
Business owners say they were left out of planning
Frustration over timing and decisions
4. Quality-of-life issues
Cleanliness
Noise
General disruption during peak tourist season
Bottom line:
Opponents aren’t anti-fun… they’re anti-“this hurts my business every Thursday.”
⚖️ The Vote (Where it got real)
City Council split right down the middle:
4 votes YES
4 votes NO
That’s about as divided as it gets.
👉 Enter Mayor Jason Salamun:
Cast the tie-breaking YES vote
Approved the alcohol license
Added a condition:
→ organizers must work with nearby businesses to reduce impact
🧠 What this really means
The city didn’t fully agree—this wasn’t a slam dunk
Summer Nights is back, but on a short leash
Pressure is now on organizers to:
Fix business concerns
Improve communication
Prove it can coexist downtown
What do YOU think? Summer Nights a drain or a love?
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Local Business Highlight
Seraphim Theatrical Entertainment
Arts and Culture are a huge part of the fun of living in Rapid City.
Back in 2014, the idea that became Seraphim Theatrical Entertainment was to be more than just a theater. It was also inspire people, teach, perform and bring light, hope and happiness to all those involved. Seraphim is focused on producing shows that the whole family can enjoy.
It remains the joint creation of husband and wife team; Bridgett J. Farruggia and Stephen Farruggia. Together they started Seraphim from the ground up with nothing more than some pocket change, a dream and a lot of hard work. From humble beginnings of producing shows and classes wherever they could find a space (I remember seeing a performace tucked into a small storefront at the mall), to their own building and art deco theatre they now call home.
Through it all, the idea of Seraphim has never changed, its just gotten bigger. Producing big city quality shows right here in the Black Hills. Seraphim was created to personify the belief that all of us are born with God given talents and that they should be shared joyously and humbly with the whole world.
Real Estate Corner
House of the Week - This Is a Really Nice House
4436 Fieldstone Drive
Rapid City SD
Listed with TJ Wojtanowicz at Black Hills Realty
5 Bedrooms
3 Bathrooms
2.862 Total Sq Feet
3 Car Garage
$5599500
Big primary suite, 3 downstairs bedrooms, nicely finished and move in ready!
Looking to Buy a Home or Check out Home Values?
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Mindful Living Realty
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