South Dakota family donates 20.5 acres to expand park drawing 200,000 visitors

Jeff and Tammie Broin donated 20.5 acres of land they acquired about two years ago to the City of Sioux Falls, expanding the southern edge of Great Bear Recreation Park. Jeff Broin, founder and CEO of POET, and his wife announced the donation this week. The land will become part of Great Bear, a park covering more than 220 acres that has been a recreation and conservation destination for about 60 years and attracts more than 200,000 visitors annually. The donated land will initially remain largely undeveloped. It will provide additional conservation space while giving the city more options for future plans. Land will remain largely undeveloped The 20.5 acres will primarily be used as natural conservation space. There are no immediate plans for new recreational facilities on the property. Future uses will be considered through the city's park master-planning process. The donation agreement also prohibits motorised traffic on the land except for maintenance. The gift supports priorities identified in Sioux Falls' Parks and Recreation System Master Plan, approved by the City Council in late 2025. Those priorities include walking and hiking trails, natural areas and wildlife habitats. “This land donation is an investment in a beloved outdoor space and strengthens Great Bear as a four-season destination,” Sioux Falls Mayor Christine Erickson said. Family previously donated $1.3 million The Broins have previously contributed to Sioux Falls' outdoor recreation projects. Jeff and Tammie Broin, together with the Ashby family, donated $1.3 million through the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation. The money helped fund an additional mile of recreational trail from Lien Park near Cliff Avenue to Bahnson Avenue. The trail includes an elevated boardwalk, which the city says is the first of its kind in the Sioux Falls parks system. The longer-term goal is to extend the trail corridor along the Big Sioux River to Great Bear and eventually connect it to Veterans Parkway, subject to funding. Great Bear attracts more than 200,000 visitors Great Bear offers recreation throughout the year. Its winter activities include downhill skiing, a terrain park, the Kirby Family Tubing Park, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. During warmer months, visitors use the park's trails for hiking and mountain biking. More than 200,000 people visit Great Bear each year. “Great Bear is very thankful for the Broin Family's preservation of this unique greenway in northeast Sioux Falls and the enhancement of Great Bear Recreation Park,” said Dan Grider, the park's general manager. Donation awaits city approval The donation still requires approval. The Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation Board will consider the gift first, followed by the City Council if the board approves it. If accepted, the 20.5 acres will become part of the city's park system. Broin founded POET and serves as its chairman and CEO. The company operates 33 facilities across eight states, with a combined annual production capacity of 3 billion gallons of biofuels and more than 14 billion pounds of co-products. He has worked in the biofuels industry for more than 35 years and is the founding chairman of Growth Energy. “Our family truly enjoys Sioux Falls and being members of this great community,” Broin said. “We think South Dakota is a unique and amazing state and Sioux Falls is a great place to live and work.” He said the family hopes the land will help create a recreational area that can be enjoyed by future generations.