Pennington County Commission plans for growth

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - As Pennington County continues to experience rapid growth, they are also preparing for the future.

In response to a recent facility needs analysis, the Pennington County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday morning to purchase a 76,316 square-foot building.

The building was purchased for less than $7 million. Commissioners wanted to purchase it now in order to be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to future growth.

“I think we can all agree that (in) 10 to 15 years the property might not be available and if it is available it’s going to be at a price the taxpayers will not like. And so, today’s purchase was based on $92 a square foot,” said Ron Rossknecht, county commissioner for District 1.

The facility analysis predicted a 23% to 30% growth within all Pennington County departments.

“In that study the BKV group broke it down in 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-year increments as to what our growth would need to be. So this would meet those 20-year projections for the administrative offices, and then, by moving them out of here, we’d also meet the growth needs for the law enforcement departments,” said Kevin Burton, senior construction project manager with Pennington County Building and Grounds department.

The study predicts the justice system will see real growth, especially in areas like the state’s attorney’s and public defender’s offices, as well as jail space. To meet those needs, Pennington County plans to move all administrative services to the new building. Public safety services will then move into the current administration building.

The timeline for the building changes should happen in late 2023 or early 2024.