Sioux Falls won't repeal downtown construction contract | News & Observer

Sioux Falls has opted to move forward with a $50 million construction project despite critics questioning the partnership with a developer connected to a 2016 building collapse.

The Argus Leader reports that the City Council voted 5-3 on Tuesday to reject the repeal of its agreement with Legacy Developments to build a hotel, commercial space and parking garage downtown.

The move followed emotional testimony from the father of a woman injured in the building collapse, which also killed one person and left another trapped in rubble for hours.

Mayor Mike Huether's administration says a private guarantor on the agreement who's at the center of the controversy won't be associated with the project.

City Council member Pat Starr says the city could make another repeal attempt should more information surface before project bonds are sold this spring.