SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) -- The City of Sioux Falls is excited to receive free dirt.
The dirt comes from the Lloyd Companies’ Cascade mixed use project on north Phillips Avenue.
The City will use it to help build the amphitheater for the Levitt Shell at west Falls Park.
"You know it's a good day when a partner comes to you and says, 'Hey, I've got some extra dirt!'," City parks director Don Kearney said at a news conference at the site of the Levitt Shell. "And then we, as one of the other partners says, 'We have a need for a lot of dirt.'"
Lloyd Companies has been remediating the dirt at its project site, which is located in a area that was essentially a chemical dumping ground in the city's early history. In other words, Lloyd's has had to make the dirt safe. Even the location of the Levitt Shell to the west of Falls Park is a remediated "brownsfield" area.
So, the City is receiving free--and relatively "clean" dirt to build up the Levitt Shell's "natural" amphitheater.
"Roughly 10,000 cubic yards of dirt will be moved," according to Erica Beck with Lloyd Companies. "It will be moved to this site, the Levitt Shell as part of that project."
Beck said the dirt was a donation. Lloyd will also perform some dirt work at the Levitt site.
Kearney placed a value of about $100,000 on the dirt from Lloyd.
