Additional Thoughts on Cabela's/Visitor Center Issue

Some additional comments I didn't have room for in my Rapid City Journal column on the deal to put the Black Hills Visitor Information Center inside Rapid City's upcoming Cabela's store:

When I visited the BHVIC recently, as I walked in, I was looking for those needed repairs I read about in the news. I didn't see any. While talking with Black Hills, Badlands & Lakes Association president Bill Honerkamp, I asked him about the repairs. He asked me if I'd come in the front and I told him I had. He said I had walked right by them.

He took me out front and showed me that they had put big flower pots right over the biggest crack in the sidewalk that came straight up to the door. They completely covered up this crack and looked as if they belonged there. There was another diagonal crack on the other side of the flower pots, where one might naturally walk as you come out of the VIC, but it shouldn't be a big deal to fix it. There was also a loose panel in the metal roofing of the facility, but that too could be fixed without major trouble.

Inside the center, there are several large displays that have pictures of local historical figures, both white and Native American. There are samples of various things from around the Black Hills, and tons of pictures.

One of the main features is the big table-like 3D display of the Black Hills; see the BHVIC website for a pic of it and some others of the facility. This display table has interactive buttons that light up some of the major peaks of the Black Hills and other things. It's very impressive and gives a great perspective of the layout of the Hills and all the lakes, sites and things you can find. Unfortunately, Honerkamp doubts they'll have room for the $40,000+ display table, and probably not several of their other display kiosks.

They also have a small theater where people can come in and watch a video on the Black Hills which plays in a loop. There won't be room for that in the proposed Cabela's facility either; they'd be going from 12,500 sq. ft in their current facility to 5,000 at Cabela's.

Bill was very professional about the whole thing, but you could tell he was disappointed at all they would be giving up to move into Cabela's.

I also asked him about why the current VIC is so far off the interstate (you can see it, but driving by at 70 MPH it's hardly going to catch your eye). Apparently the DOT was planning a "diamond exchange" for that exit (Elk Vale Rd) when the VIC was built, and as proposed, their entrance would have been right where you got off the offramp. However, DOT switched to an "urban exchange" idea, which leaves the VIC a bit back from the road. Not much they can do about that now, but they're working with it pretty good.

There was also some buckled pavement around the back side of the VIC that Bill told me about but we didn't go around and look at it.

As I said in my column, it's been reported that local contractors have volunteered to do these repairs to this nine-year-old $4.5 million dollar building at-cost for about $11,000. Maybe it's just me, but I think the city would be walking away from far too much money and resources at the current facility to move it to Cabela's.

Just wanted to provide some additional important details about what I'd learned, that I didn't have room for in my column.