A 119-year-old, three-story, uninhabitable building in the Highland Park neighborhood is expected to be bought by the city of Des Moines through a voluntary acquisition agreement with the property’s owner.

The City Council on Monday is expected to approve a proposal to acquire property at 200 Euclid Ave. for $425,000 from Ty Cawley, who has owned it since 2009.

The building, which has been used for retail and apartments, is in poor condition, according to a city document. If the proposal is approved, the city will use Community Development Block Grant money to acquire the property and stabilize the building, which in 2024 was on the Des Moines Heritage Trust’s list of endangered buildings.

The structure, known locally as the Highland Park Odd Fellows Hall, is in the Highland Park Historic Business District and both the site and district were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The building originally was used as the meeting spot for the International Order of Odd Fellows. It also has been home to a drug store and most recently, as a pawn shop. Its upper two floors had been used as apartments.

City officials have tried for several years to acquire the property and rehabilitate it. In February, the council authorized city staff to negotiate the purchase of adjacent properties – 206, 208 and 210 Euclid Ave. – a move believed will help  increase the chances of a successful historic renovation of the corner.

If the city moves forward with acquiring the property at 200 Euclid Ave., valued at $217,000, bids would be solicited for a general contractor to stabilize the property, according to city documents. Eventually, the city would transfer the property to a developer to complete the rehabilitation in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office of Iowa.

Also Monday, the council will:

• Vote on a request to rezone land near 107 E. Sixth St. to allow for the development of a new athletic field and small park that would be part of Des Moines Prep, a charter school that opened last fall at 95 E. Fifth St. in the East Village district. The city’s Plan and Zoning Commission approved the rezoning request on April 2. The site, located on the south side of railroad tracks that run through the area, is currently used as surface parking by the school. Improvements could include the addition of an athletic field, outdoor exercise equipment, a paved walking loop, space for food truck parking and bike parking facilities, according to a city document. The improvements “will transform an underutilized paved site into an active, landscaped open space that supports both recreational and community-oriented uses,” a letter from Civil Design Advantage to the city said. The space would be available for public use outside of school hours and events.
• Vote on whether to preliminarily award $640,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to Kingman Place Townhomes, a 20-unit residential project proposed at 3125 Kingman Blvd. HOME Inc., Invest DSM and Cutler Development are partnering on the project that would include one- and two-bedroom units for low- to moderate-income individuals. The $7 million project would be the only city-funded Home Investment Partnerships Programs awards in 2027 and 2028, according to a city document.

The city council meets at 5 p.m. Monday in the council chambers at 1200 Locust St.