Sioux Falls officials were expected to vote on three video lottery casinos at the same City Planning Commission meeting last week after two of the proposals were deferred at a July meeting.

The postponement to be used to try and work through concerns voiced by both the city and neighbors.

According to SiouxFalls Business…

Entrepreneur, Dale Dachtler, purchased the former Bob’s Café in May and filed a building permit with City Hall the following month.

Slots hall:

The owner of the Dakota Grill in Tea before it closed, Dachtler’s plans include renovating the 1,000 sq ft building, to include 10 video lottery machines, and re-opening what once was a popular restaurant, as the “Dakota Star Casino.”

“There are a lot of casinos that are 1,000 square feet, and that’s what we are. We thought about other businesses too, and the building just isn’t right for that,” he said.

Concerns voiced:

The Argus Leader reported late last month that at least one homeowner in the area had voiced their concerns to city officials regarding another potential casino and alcohol venue along West 12 Street to I-29.

Dachtler is reportedly applying for a conditional use permit so he will be able to sell beer at the proposed casino. The permit was originally scheduled to go on the planning commission’s meeting agenda on July 3, however, city officials agreed to postpone the vote due to neighbors’ concerns. The vote was put off at that time for its planned August 7 meeting.

The commission received documents that reportedly included a letter from Terrance Mobley, a Sioux Falls resident who said he lived directly behind the familiar landmark. Mobley added that the area has already seen an uptick in crime and “transient traffic” in recent years.

Dachtler said that he’s willing to work with Mobley to try to do everything he can to make him happy.

He plans to hire a manager for the planned casino but would like to put in about 20 hours a week himself, doing inventory and other such tasks.

Additional proposals:

There are two other proposed casinos, one from a convenience store owner who wants to move his business from 631 W. 11th St. to a vacant former mini-mart just north of I-90, the other applicant proposes opening “Fun Casino” in a retail center about 6 miles from Sioux Falls, at Lake Lorraine.

The former also includes putting video lottery machines in the venue and the plan gets a hearing on August 7 as well.

City officials reportedly recommended denying the application of Belay Abebe, the owner of Mercado convenience store, saying that the proposed 39 parking spaces were not up to engineering and design standard nor was the concept plan engineered to scale, as reported by SiouxFalls Business. Abebe’s plan also includes video lottery machines and was slated for hearing on August 7.

Lake Lorraine:

The most recent application, Kimberly Ngo’s plan to open a casino in a retail center at Lake Lorraine, is a sublease proposed via the former tenant and now closed, Sioux Falls Cyro. If the conditional use application is approved by the city, Mike Van Buskirk, co-developer of Lake Lorraine, will reportedly move ahead with negotiations.

“There are quality casinos around, and we thought if that was the case, it could be a fit here,” said, Van Buskirk. “But we want assurances that will be the case, and that would be part of the lease negotiations,” as reported by SiouxFalls Business.

Soberg approval:

In  March, local planning officials unanimously approved a plan from Bryant Soberg, one of the developers behind the local Crown Casino and Deuces Casino-branded chains of slot halls, to open a similar facility in the southern suburbs of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.