The roof will be raised more than 9 feet on a portion of Southridge Mall to accommodate basketball courts at Genesis Health Club, Kansas-based company that plans to open a fitness center at the Des Moines mall, city documents show.

Genesis Health Club, based in Kansas, announced in March that it planned to purchase the former Sears building at Southridge Mall, 111 E. Army Post Road, and convert the structure into a fitness and athletic complex.

Plans for the 108,807 square feet of space, which has been vacant since Sears closed its store and auto center in August 2016, include:

• 42,406 square feet of space for five high-school-size basketball courts that can also be used for volleyball courts.
• 41,766 square feet for a health club, which will include areas for cardio fitness, free-weight training, and aerobics and cycling studios. Also planned are locker rooms with steam rooms and showers.
• A five-lane, 25-yard lap pool that will be 4 feet deep.
• A child care facility.

The structure of the building will be modified to accommodate the basketball courts, according to a project narrative provided to Des Moines’ Urban Design Review Board members, who approved preliminary designs for the project on Tuesday.

Columns currently in the space will be removed and the ceiling raised “to provide proper clearances required for basketball and volleyball,” according to the narrative.

Construction, which is estimated at $16.5 million, is expected to begin later this year with completion slated for mid-2022.

The project is expected to receive up to $9.6 million in tax increment financing assistance that would be paid over a 20-year period.

Board approves financial package, design for Crescent building redevelopment
Des Moines’ Urban Design Review Board on Tuesday approved a proposed financial package and building designs for the redevelopment of the Crescent building at 555 17th St. Big Grove Brewery, with locations in Solon and Iowa City, plans to open a brewery in the one-story portion of the building. Office and retail tenants are expected to occupy the two-story portion of the building, which includes 42,955 square feet. The redevelopment project is estimated to cost $17 million.