City of Des Moines

Summary: In 1989, the Partnership helped design a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization program for Des Moines, Iowa. After operating the program for 15 years, the City of Des Moines invited the original designers to evaluate the program’s progress and make recommendations for its future. Click here to view or print the final report in PDF.

Wisconsin Partnership's role: Local partnership design/Program evaluation

Staff contact: Bill Perkins

Status of work: Completed in 2005

In 1989 the Partnership, in collaboration with Stockard Engler Brigham, LLC (SEB) of Cambridge, Mass., designed a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization program for Des Moines, Iowa, and surrounding Polk County. In 2005, Partnership staff returned to Des Moines (again working with SEB) to help the City evaluate the program’s performance after 15 years.

One key element of Des Moines’ original program was the Neighborhood Finance Corporation (NFC), which began making loans and grants to projects in 1991. By 2005 the NFC had made loans totaling more than $125 million, on projects comprising more than 3,000 housing units.

Another component, the Neighborhood Development Corporation (NDC), was created in 1999 to plan, coordinate and implement public and private redevelopment efforts in neighborhoods located in low to moderate income census tracts. During 2003 and 2004, the NDC leveraged $1.75 million into more than $14 million worth of development in distressed neighborhoods throughout the city.

Under the Partnership’s 2005 consulting contract, staff first visited Des Moines to interview stakeholders and public officials, observe program results and collect information from the public. A preliminary report outlined the information gathered, set out conclusions about the status of the program, and made recommendations for a neighborhood development strategy that made sense for the current environment.

The preliminary report contained a number of key recommendations, including creation of a true housing and neighborhood partnership involving the business community, nonprofit organizations and foundations in future efforts. The report also urged the City to deal decisively with abandoned buildings, deal realistically with neighborhood commercial areas, recognize the importance of multifamily rental units for many segments of the population, include new ethnic populations in the planning process, invest in people as well as neighborhoods, and expand and strengthen the NFC.After local officials and other stakeholders reviewed the report, Partnership staff prepared a final report, again for community review.