DES MOINES, Iowa — Residents are sounding off about a major development coming to Des Moines.
Invest DSM purchased an aging apartment complex on the corner of 6th and Euclid. Their plan? Knock that building down and replace it with a new, mixed-use space. Some locals say that's a good step in the right direction for the neighborhood's future.
The Commons at Highland Park will add 40 or more apartment units to the neighborhood, along with 7,000 square feet of commercial space.
Michael Jensen has owned Aqualand Pets Plus for over 40 years; he's just across the street from the development site. And after all that time, saying goodbye to his neighbor isn't as easy as you'd expect.
"I would hate to see it go because it is a very beautiful building with a lot of neat stuff inside," Jensen said.
Invest DSM bought the building in March, after it had sat vacant since 2018. Officials say they've put more than $2 million dollars into the neighborhood's business district beyond that purchase, and they're hoping the new complex will attract even more new shops.
"When we look at the old commercial spaces, right now, they're 3000 square feet apiece. What business owners are looking for is anywhere from five to 800 square feet, and this building will be a great opportunity for them to open up a space here in the neighborhood," said Christopher Civitate, Invest DSM's Neighborhood Development Manager.
And that's a vision that local shop owners can get behind. Jensen has seen businesses come and go over his decades in the neighborhood. But he said that the new investments are a step in the right direction for Highland Park's future.
"The bike shop down the street, the refurbishing of the of the bakery, the coffee shop there in the old hardware store. It'll be nice to see some of the other things that are coming in to some of these empty spots," Jensen said.
Invest DSM plans on bringing their proposal to city council on April 24, with demolition of the current building taking place as early as May.