If you look up just past the Central Fire Station, you'll spot the CenturyLink Tower rising high-its modern, glassy exterior and layered pink and gray lines make it stand out as the tallest building around.
Alright, here we are at the CenturyLink Tower, where Sioux Falls dares to touch the sky, one story at a time! Imagine standing in the heart of downtown, with eleven bold stories towering 174 feet above you-proudly holding the title of South Dakota’s tallest building. But trust me, it didn’t always look this sleek. When it was first built, the tower wore a bright white stone facade. Unfortunately, it turned out to be more “crumble and tumble” than “modern marvel.” The poor exterior had to be stripped off, and out came today’s sturdy, glassy look.
Hidden in all that glass and steel is a bit of a ghost-part of the original building used to house Sioux Falls’ main telephone exchange, and for decades, operators buzzed with messages connecting the city. That little brick section held on until 2011, when it finally made way for a bigger parking lot. CenturyLink moved in, and the building now buzzes as a dispatch center-if you listen closely, you might almost hear faint echoes of old phone calls and laughter in the halls. A funny thing about this place: it once got edged out by the Zip Feed Tower-but now, the CenturyLink Tower claims the crown in style. So stand tall, just like this tower-after all, you’re at the top of South Dakota!
