Northbound commuters approaching Des Moines on U.S. Highway 69 may have noticed a diminutive white sign on the side of the roadway that somewhat meekly proclaims, “Des Moines Welcomes You.”

A South-side committee says the sign, erected last summer near the Earl May garden store south of Army Post Road, marks the spot for a permanent brick gateway sign, complete with flags, landscaping and lighting. It’s one step in what the Southside Revitalization Partnership hopes will be the beginning of a turnaround for Des Moines’ southeast gateway.

The partnership, a small grass-roots organization of business people and residents, is working on several fronts to improve the area, focusing on the business districts along Southeast 14th Street and Army Post Road, said spokesman Rodney Janssen.

“What we’re trying to do is what we can to foster appropriate development that would increase the appeal of those streets rather than the status quo,” said Janssen, an attorney who lives and practices on the South side. “This is really the southeast gateway to our capital. We think it ought to be more representative of what we want Iowa’s capital city to be.”

A little more than two years ago, the Southside Partnership worked with the city to form a tax abatement district to encourage new construction and renovation along Southeast 14th Street from the Des Moines River south to the city limits, and Army Post Road from Fleur Drive east to the city limits.

Since then, a number of businesses, among them Wal-Mart, Culver’s of Des Moines, Sonic Drive-In, Walgreen Drug Store and Slumberland Furniture, have either renovated or built new structures along those thoroughfares. Additionally, two new strip malls have been constructed along Southeast 14th.

The partnership is asking each business that receives the abatement to contribute one-third of the annual amount it saves toward the group’s redevelopment efforts, Janssen said. Wal-Mart is among the companies that have agreed to do that, he said.

To receive the three-year, 100 percent tax abatement, a new building or renovation must use specific aesthetic structural elements, such as brick or stone, for its exterior, and meet certain landscaping guidelines. Renovation projects must add at least 15 percent to the property’s value, and only the portion of the project that’s a new addition qualifies for the abatement.

“I think every new development that’s gone in there has tried to take advantage of it,” said Phil Poorman, an assistant planner with the city of Des Moines Communty Development Department. “We haven’t had anyone go in and say, ‘We’re not going to do it.’ From that standpoint, I think it’s working.”

A developer who’s completing a building for NAPA Auto Parts on Southeast 14th, however, said he was unaware of the tax abatement program.

“That’s definitely something we’re going to follow up on,” said Alan Marks, president of Midwest Development & Investment Corp. ” I hope we’re not too late to get it.”

It’s the first Des Moines project for the Fairfield company, which will lease the building to NAPA. The general contractor is Regency Commercial Development.

“We believe in the Des Moines marketplace,” Marks said. “As far as the South Side, we certainly hope it continues to be revitalized. … We’re always concerned as a commercial developer that our market will stay viable. We believe in the marketplace; that’s why we invested there.”

Set to open by late April, the store will replace an existing NAPA outlet on Army Post Road, said Mike Smitherman, a district manager for NAPA Auto Parts.

“All of the expansion on Southeast 14th has been very good,” he said. “That whole area has seen some new construction, and it will continue to improve that whole southeast corner there. And hopefully as that traffic improves, it will help Southridge Mall.”

With plans by the city to redevelop some of the major intersections along Southeast 14th beginning this summer, the partnership is working with the city to add aesthetic features such as medians, brick crosswalks and possibly streetlights into the mix, Janssen said.

The group has raised about $30,000 toward hiring a consultant to develop a streetscape plan, and has a commitment for a $25,000 match from the city, Janssen said. It may also apply for assistance from the Iowa Architectural Foundation, which offers urban planning and design assistance through its Community Design Program.

The Southside Partnership is also working with the city to develop a tax increment financing program to pay for extending sewer lines into the district, where many commercial and residential properties are still connected to septic tanks.

“We’re not only concerned about the commercial, but also the residential,” Janssen said. “People aren’t going to invest in those houses and fix them up unless they get sewer. Unless there’s some help, it’s going to become a blighted area and need even more help than it needs now.”

Meanwhile, the partnership is in the process of legally transferring the piece of land for the gateway sign to the city. It’s also selling sponsorships to help fund the project, which it estimates will cost between $25,000 and $30,000.

Donations received so far include $25,000 from Wal-Mart and $2,500 from the Des Moines Community Foundation. Each sponsor’s name will appear on a stone plaque that will be embedded into the structure, Janssen said. One of the sponsors, Earl May, plans to provide landscaping for the project.

The design has changed from the original concept that was drawn, and will include flagpoles for both the U.S. and Iowa flags, as well as lighting to illuminate it at night.

COMMUNITIES CAN TAP ARCHITECTURAL EXPERTISE

Communities and business districts throughout Iowa can access architectural expertise for revitalization projects through the Community Design Program.

Founded in 1991 by the Iowa State University College of Design as the Iowa Community Design Assistance Team, administration of the program was assumed three years ago by the Iowa Architectural Foundation.

At least 10 communities are in the pipeline to receive assistance through the program, said Kirsten Anderson, the foundation’s executive director. Each community must commit $5,000 to demonstrate their commitment to the project, she said.

A project for Estherville in the northwest corner of the state will begin within the next two months, she said.

As part of the program, a team of design professionals is assembled to conduct meetings and workshops in each community. The program continues to collaborate with ISU students and staff from the College of Design.

The communities’ needs have ranged from the redesigning of a town square or adaptive reuse of downtown buildings, to a total image change for the community. The program works through a public decision-making process that requires months of preparation prior to a three-day workshop in the town.

Some of the projects completed in the past 10 years include an image and accessibility study for Denison, a downtown image study for Vinton, a community design study in Eldora and a sustainable design workshop for the riverfront in Waterloo, as well as studies in Ankeny, Jefferson, Sioux City, Muscatine, Spirit Lake and Ames.

“On the community side, we’re hoping they take away a renewed sense of community pride, and some togetherness,” Anderson said. “We try to tailor this to have residents work together and see things in a different light. Often, people live in their community for decades, and it’s useful for our design team to come in and look at things from a different perspective.”       For further information on the Iowa Architectural Foundation’s Community Design Program, contact Edward L. Matt, AIA, at 283-5101, or by e-mail at elm@struxture.com.