Rapid City Delays Vote On County’s Proposed 172-Acre TIF District Near Catron Boulevard

Pennington County is seeking to create a new Tax Increment Financing District on roughly 172 acres south of Catron Boulevard, west of Fifth Street, and east of Black Hills Boulevard. Part of the land falls inside Rapid City limits, and the county has asked the city for permission to include that portion in the TIF. The Rapid City Council voted 9–0 Monday to delay action on the request until its next meeting on April 20. Council President Rod Pettigrew was absent. City documents show the site could be developed for major retail, restaurants, and new housing, including single and multi-family units. Finance Director Daniel Ainslie estimated the city-owned portion of the land at less than five percent of the total area, adding that it’s too early to determine project costs. The proposal also includes improvements to Black Hills Boulevard and Fifth Street. The city’s Legal and Finance Committee previously voted 4–0 against the TIF, with Chair Greg Strommen abstaining.