McHardy Park Tower in Brandon to Get Facelift

If you've lived in the Sioux Falls area for any period of time, you've probably seen or climbed the McHardy Park Tower in Brandon.

The McHardy Park Tower has existed since 1983, the year the National Guard built the tower to use for training exercises. Since that time, the 50-foot tower has become somewhat of a famous landmark in the Sioux Empire, with God knows how many people's initials carved into the wood beams throughout the decades.

As Dakota News Now reports, over the years, Father Time and Mother Nature have taken their toll on the legendary Sioux Empire landmark and it is now in need of dire repairs.

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Jeremy Risty, President of the Brandon Historical Society and Museum told Dakota News Now,  “It was well constructed to begin with, and other than fairly routine maintenance as far as replacing decking board and steps and things of that nature, it’s had very little repairs to it."

That is about to change, however. A crew from Oakland Homes has been contracted out to repair the structure over the coming weeks. According to Dakota News Now, the plan is to better stabilize the tower by adding new wood to the structure.

All the rotten boards will be replaced on things like the steps, railings, posts, deck landings, etc. A contract engineer also recommended that new cross-bracing be added to help stiffen up the structure so it will no longer be wobbly.

Throughout the years, the McHardy Park Tower has had a special meaning for so many area residents, especially those living in and near Brandon. For many people, that tower has been around for as long as they've been alive.

You know, there is another benefit of making the planned renovations to McHardy Park Tower, just think of the excellent opportunity there will soon be for an entirely new generation of folks to begin carving their initials into all the newly added wood support pieces.

Soon, there will be a whole new set of stories and memories for people to talk about for decades to come.

Source: Dakota News Now