Sioux Falls Unveils Plan for Westside Recreation Center on Ellis Road

Those of us who like to spend a little time in the gym every week should know the city of Sioux Falls will soon be taking over operation of the Sanford Wellness Center at Tea-Ellis Road.

The city of Sioux Falls recently purchased the fitness facility from Sanford, and Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation will begin operating the 70,000-square-foot facility on (January 1) 2025. On that date, the facility will be known as the Westside Recreation Center.

As Dakota News Now reports, the city plans to keep many of the amenities the Sanford Wellness Center is now offering still in play. For example, members will still be able to enjoy aquatics, court sports, a walking and running track, recreation programs, classes, and community spaces for all ages.

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The plan is to keep operations mostly the same once the city takes acquisition of the current Sanford facility.

Sioux Falls Park and Recreation Manager Jackie Nelson told Dakota News Now, "Our goal on day one is to maintain consistent operations. This means the facility will remain familiar to current users with the same fitness equipment, pool, locker rooms, and similar group fitness classes that current members know. While many things will stay the same to start, we’ll be adding more programming for our community of all ages in 2025.”

One planned change is the child-watch program known as KidZone, which will no longer be offered in 2025. Instead, Parks and Recreation staff will provide scheduled programming and special events for kids and families in this space. According to Dakota News Now, users will need to register for these events in advance and have a pass to the Westside Recreation Center to attend. The cost of these programs will be free unless otherwise specified.

A few other small changes are planned as well.

Once the city takes over operation, the Westside Recreation Center will be open seven days a week. 10 AM to 5 PM on Sunday. The current Monday through Saturday hours of operation will not change.

Daily, monthly, and yearly pass options will be available, with the goal of making this facility accessible to the entire community. Discounted rates will also be available for children, adults, seniors, veterans, families, and qualifying individuals.

You can take a look at the pricing structure here.

If you're an existing Sanford Member like myself, you can stop by the facility on (November 12) to learn more about operations under new ownership. City representatives will be on hand in the facility to answer any questions for current members and new members.

Source: Dakota News Now