Flood-plain concerns stall plans for powwow site

By Scott Aust, Journal staff | Monday, November 19, 2007

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A Rapid City alderman says flood-plain issues have him concerned about the proposed location of a Native American art market and powwow grounds, but a leader of the project said it seems community leaders aren't treating the Native project fairly.

The Alliance of Tribal Tourism Advocates, a nonprofit organization representing all nine Native tribes in South Dakota, wants to build an outdoor Native art market, living history village and powwow grounds and arena near The Journey Museum.

The location close to the creek would be culturally significant for powwow grounds, advocates have said, but the proximity also creates a hurdle because of flood-plain issues.

A city subcommittee is currently reviewing flood-plain ordinances and policy and may make recommendations to further restrict building along Rapid Creek. Stricter guidelines could mean the tourism alliance must choose another site for its project.

Daphne Richards Cook, the alliance's executive director, said the project seems to be in limbo because of the flood-plain issue, but she doesn't believe it would have a much of a flood impact because a large part of it is an open-air arena.

Cook said some city council members seem to be questioning her group's credibility and are not treating the alliance's project the same as other projects nearby, such as the proposed Performing Arts Center.

Last month, the city "acknowledged" the design for a 500-seat theater south of the museum on the north side of New York Street, but the council did not ask the group advocating the project to get input from The Journey Museum or Rushmore Plaza Civic Center like it asked for the powwow grounds project.

Cook believes some individuals in the community don't want to see the project succeed at all, regardless of the location.

"All we wanted was the same kind of acknowledgement," Cook said. "I'm just wondering why they're constantly putting roadblocks out like this when our credibility was also questioned at the beginning two years ago. Why aren't they saying that to other organizations?"

Cook said the tourism alliance has submitted a business plan to the city and worked with the Small Business Administration and SCORE.

"We crunched the numbers and went into every detail of merchandise, food, and broke it down into a spreadsheet," she said. "It's not me pulling numbers out of the sky."

Rapid City Alderman Bill Okrepkie said the city council needs more information before it authorizes the release of 2012 funds for the project. The council included $812,000 for the project in the 2012 plan approved in late 2005.

Okrepkie's first question is whether The Journey Museum and the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center boards object to the project.

In September, the city asked the tourism alliance to get formal input from the boards of the Journey Museum and the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

Okrepkie said the tourism alliance led the city to believe both boards were OK with it but he wants to make sure that's true.

Journey Director Ray Summers said board members supported the concept of the powwow grounds but voted against the proposed site because of concerns about the flood plain.

"It wasn't a vote against the powwow grounds; it had to do with the site being in the flood plain, and our board couldn't support it at that site," he said.

Civic center board members expressed support individually for the project's concept, but the group did not vote or reach consensus about the proposed location, board chairman Mike Diedrich said.

"The question that remained unsolved was, how does that affect the parking for civic center events?" Diedrich said.

Okrepkie also wants more information from the tourism alliance about its business plan - whether the project will be self-sufficient or will require city subsidies.

"If I'm going to obligate the city on future tax dollars, I want to have a good feeling of what that's going to be," he said.

Okrepkie's third concern is about the flood plain. New guidelines may mean the tourism alliance can't build in its preferred location.

"They may want to look at other options because if it truly is in the flood plain, I'm not sure they're going to get much support from the city council to build anything in there," he said. 

After the flood plain committee issues its report - although the committee is not certain when that will be - Cook wants direction from the city council about what more it wants the alliance to do. Though a specific site has not been chosen, she said the organization plans to get a construction estimate based on the design so it can begin a fundraising campaign.

She said it would be possible to move the project closer to The Journey Museum, but then there would not be enough room to expand.

"We'd like to get things moving next year. One thing about this is it's really given us an opportunity to build a stronger product," she said.

Contact Scott Aust at 394-8415, or scott.aust@rapidcityjournal.com.