$2 million donation could bring ice skating, new playground downtown

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Pigeon605) - Ice skating downtown just took a huge step forward thanks to a $2 million donation.

Sioux Falls business owners Garry and Dianne Jacobson are pledging to donate $2 million toward an ice ribbon at Falls Park West, along with an all-inclusive playground.

“We really think it’s a special day for our parks system but also just a special day for Sioux Falls,” said Don Kearney, the city’s director of parks and recreation.

“The thing Garry mentioned to me is that Sioux Falls has been really good to their family and their business, and he just wants to be able to give back.”

The city has “kicked around these ideas for a few years now, and the downtown 2025 plan has always talked about having downtown ice and creating a year-round downtown, and we also had interest in doing an all-inclusive playground and were always looking for the right opportunity,” Kearney said.

Unlike a traditional ice rink, ice ribbons are growing in popularity nationwide and offer a path-like route around a park or development where all skaters move in the same direction.

Read more about the project on pigeon605.com.