A building that has sat vacant for several years at 515 28th St. in Des Moines could be renovated if a local developer completes plans to purchase the property. The photo below shows the roof of the building, which collapsed in December 2019. Photos by Kathy A. Bolten

A building on the city of Des Moines’ list of nuisance properties could soon be renovated if plans by a local developer move forward.

Randy Reichardt, who owns RWR Development, has made an offer to buy property at 515 28th St. and told the Business Record he expects the transaction to be finalized by early September.

Developer Jeff Young, who operates We Can Build It LC, owns the building and confirmed a deal is in the works.

“I think the time is right to do something with [the property],” Reichardt said. “I’m looking forward to bring it back to its former glory.”

The original tenant of the building was a lithograph printing business that needed a lot of natural light, said Reichardt, who researched the building’s history. “I come from a health background and I’m a big believer in spending time outside. But when you’re inside, I believe it’s important to have good lighting and good natural lighting.”

The roof of the building includes a large skylight, which Reichardt said he found attractive.

The planned renovation of the building, with large warehouse-style windows, comes at a time when numerous projects are underway along Grand and Ingersoll avenues. 

Among the projects is an $18.3 million renovation of a former hotel at 2525 Ingersoll Ave., a $17 million streetscape project along Ingersoll between Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and 28th Street, a $35 million project at 3750 Grand Ave. that includes the construction of an eight-story condo building, and the proposed $8.3 million historic renovation of three apartment buildings at 2801 Grand Ave.

Young purchased the property at 515 28th St. in 2016 for $150,000. The 12,100-square-foot, single-story building was constructed in 1925. The property, valued at $147,000, includes 0.3 acres situated between Grand and Ingersoll avenues.

Last December, the building’s roof collapsed, prompting the city to deem it a public nuisance, according to SuAnn Donavan, Des Moines’ deputy zoning enforcement officer. Repairs were made to the roof, but it remains out of compliance with city codes, she said. 

Joe Cordaro, principal of Benchmark Real Estate Group, is collaborating with Reichardt on the project. 

“We are really excited to bring this building back to being a contributing feature of the neighborhood,” said Cordaro, who has an interest in rehabilitating older buildings. 

Reichardt and Cordaro said they envision the building becoming a connection point between Grand and Ingersoll. 

“There’s not a real flow between Grand and Ingersoll right now,” Cordaro said. “To us, this becomes that logical pedestrian corridor between the two streets.”

Among the ideas being discussed are providing an outdoor patio, rooftop deck and solar panels to help with the energy efficiency of the building, Cordaro said. 

Reichardt said he expects renovations to take about a year to complete. 

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