CITY PLANNING: Bringing New Life To Downtown | News

Des Moines City leaders are pulling out all the stops trying to bring new life to downtown. 

The City and the Downtown Community Alliance are in the beginning stages of planning new developments for the Walnut Street area. 

The plan coincides with new Des Moines Area Regional Transit hub. 

DART’s central station will eliminate the need for the current transit mall from 2^nd Avenue to 10^th Street.

City leaders have brought in nationally recognized experts to help create an urban renewal plan.

Glenn Lyons, CEO of the Downtown Community Alliance says, “When we talk about urban retailing models, it’s what kind of mix of retail, entertainment, restaurant uses can you put together.  A lot of it is driven by who the target market is, which is office workers, the 80 thousand people who work downtown, the ten thousand who live downtown and all people within about a ten minute drive.”

Leaders are still in the research phase.  They hope to have a concept and start construction by 2014.