Redevelopment Ideas for Sioux Falls’ Smithfield Site

It was 1909 when the then 82-year-old John Morrell Company established a meat processing plant in Sioux Falls. Access to good rail lines and lots of pigs made Sioux Falls a perfect place to build. The choice of Sioux Falls paid off. Within a couple of years, the plant expanded. In 1995, the company was sold to Smithfield Foods, which continues to operate it today. For over a century, the meat processing plant has been a leading employer in Sioux Falls.

A city as great as Sioux Falls is destined to grow. More people, more business, more space. When it was built, the then John Morrell plant was just outside of town. Over the years, that location ended up in the middle of town, and right next to the city's namesake, Falls Park. I know it's the smell of money, but taking pigs from farm to table can be a stinky business. Folks have been eager for a change.

So, when it was announced earlier this week that Smithfield would be moving its operations to a new location north of town, Sioux Falls got very excited. What was going to take its place? The site is within walking distance of our thriving downtown. This could be an opportunity to make the quality of life in Sioux Falls even better.

Read More: Smithfield Moving 117-Year-Old Plant Out Of Downtown Sioux Falls

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What are the plans for the Smithfield site?

While nothing official has been announced yet, as of Thursday morning, February 19, 2026, anyway, the city is abuzz with ideas. There are few things Sioux Falls loves more than making suggestions for a newly empty space. It'll take a couple of years for the whole plant-moving process, but the city's imagination is already running wild.

Sioux Falls Residents Share Big Ideas

A Rare Opportunity Near Falls Park: What Should Sioux Falls Build Next?

We asked on social media, what do you want built on the spot next to Falls Park? We got hundreds of suggestions for the soon-to-be former pork plant spot. Some of the ideas were silly or sarcastic. But, most responses were great ideas that could reasonably happen. So, let's see what our informal, very unscientific poll tells us.

The people of Sioux Falls have lots of ideas, and they are passionate about their city. Whatever happens to the soon-to-be former Smithfield site, it will be a top topic of conversation in Sioux Falls for years to come.