Don't Believe The Hype

No doubt you’ve heard the familiar refrain by now.

The pandemic forced people to flee the cities. People can work anywhere. As a result, downtowns are dying.

Not so fast. The problem with all these statements is they are more descriptive than predictive. They tell us more about what’s going on now and less about what’s going to happen in the future. And they are fraught with a big-time assumption—namely, that pandemics last forever.

Of course, we know this isn’t case. Every pandemic, even before vaccines, were a temporary blip on the radar of human history.

Sure, there’s been some migration from the urban core of some cities like Minneapolis and New York. And some of these moves may be permanent. But downtowns are far from dead. And Rapid City’s downtown is no exception.

Don’t believe the hype.

Welcome to this issue of Elevate, where we are hyping things in the other direction. This issue focuses on redevelopment, both retail and housing, with a focus on Rapid City’s urban core and corporate boundaries. Baken Park, the old K-Mart Plaza, and the core of downtown—all of them, bigger and better looking. And with the growth that is coming to the area, we think it’s only the beginning.

If getting folks into Rapid City’s core 365/24/7 is your thing, then this is your issue.

Stay safe and god-speed.