Chamber raises $1.67 million to increase economic development

As Vermillion city officials continue to push for economic development, students at the University of South Dakota are involving themselves in the process.

Through VermillionNEXT, Young Professionals Network of Emerging Leaders, students have the opportunity to engage with professionals in the area who are between 21 and 40 years of age.

“The Vermillion community has been very forthcoming,” said Rachelle Norberg, Student Government Association senator. “The meetings are a good place to meet and network with people your age, and network throughout the community.”

Nate Welch, executive director for the Vermillion Area Chamber and Development Company, said the program provides an opportunity for a smooth transition from student life to professional life.

“What makes an organization like this so strong is having a diverse group of ages,” he said. “There’s such a difference, but great similarity, to connect people who bring benefits and experiences with them.”

The energy that comes from the organization will move out into the existing community, Welch said.

“For someone who’s just out of college, having VermillionNEXT tied to the Chamber, the chamber can introduce them to other professions,” he said, which will help keep graduates in Vermillion and stimulate the economy.

SGA has also started meeting with city officials to discuss student concerns. A survey was sent out to students to see which businesses they want to come to Vermillion, and overwhelmingly, Norberg said, students want more shops.

“Many students want Target, particularly female students,” she said. “They also want something like a frozen yogurt or boutique shop. But businesses that are already here could change their hours — Scoops could stay open later during the day, for example, to accommodate and get more business.”

First-year Kayla DeJong would rather see a Starbucks come to Vermillion before Target.

“It’s another business that could bring in money, and it would offer students a quiet place to study or relax,” she said.

DeJong said she doesn’t often leave campus since everything she needs is around, unless she wants to go out to eat.

“It would be nice to have a mall or something like that for a place to shop, but with Sioux Falls so close I could see where that would be hard,” she said.

The Chamber is also ramping up its Vermillion NOW! 2 campaign. The five-year campaign invests in local businesses, large and small, and individuals who provide resources.

The campaign has already exceeded its goal and raised about $1.6 million. It officially kicked off in February and just ended, Welch said. The funds raised will focus on developing housing in Vermillion.

“When you’re talking to a business to get them to Vermillion who wants ‘X’ amount of jobs, we have to know if we have affordable housing for them — the people the business will bring in,” Welch said. “We face the challenge of affordable housing, but Vermillion NOW! 1 helped with this to add over 70 home lots and 15 acres of multi development.”

Welch said there are businesses looking to come to Vermillion, which will help the city bring in tax revenue and property tax revenue.

“What will bring the retailers will be more people living here because of more wages, more houses, which will then get more retailers,” he said. “We’re trying to bring in that restaurant, we’re trying to bring in the jobs — the blue collar, white collar, professional jobs that will bring in people.”

But with Vermillion being the size it is, Norberg and Welch said the city and university should not fight each other, but keep collaborating to build a relationship to engage students in the community, and the community with USD.

“My first year at USD, I didn’t venture past Cherry Street, because everything you need is on campus,” Norberg said. “But USD is the flagship school of South Dakota and produces these great leaders — doctors, lawyers, editors — and being a part of USD is being a part of the community. It’s a bigger sense of issues and service.”

Overall, Vermillion is on the right track to economic development and collaboration, Welch said.

“Vermillion is doing such a great job at identifying what our challenges are and facing our challenges,” he said. “It’s one of the exciting things about living here. Vermillion is doing the things its needs to do to keep going.”

(Photo illustration of downtown Vermillion by Emily Niebrugge / The Volante).