City of Presidents Commission looks to open new downtown info center

RAPID CITY, S.D. — The organization that has lined the downtown streets of Rapid City with presidential statues is looking for four walls and a roof. The city of presidents commission wants to open a new information center downtown.

Back in the beginning, in 2000, the generosity of the Purdue family helped the organization with its first center at Main and Seventh Streets. But due to recent life changes, the info center closed to open up the building for lease.

Now, with almost all past presidents in place, the Commission isn’t as busy – leaving little need for the retail space that housed the original information center.

“The presidents center that we are wanting now is not a retail center. We could have some of the maps of the presidents there, we would have information billboards on the wall if there was room, but primarily it’s a place to dispense the City of Presidents brochure, which the tourist really enjoy. They can get kind of a walking tour of the place and better understand the presidents,” said Dallerie Davis, City of Presidents co-founder.

And the City of Presidents has commissioned artist James Michael Maher for Donald Trump’s statue – work is underway on the concept and location.