A proposed Market District master plan released this week by the city of Des Moines urges the preservation of three properties in the century-old working industrial neighborhood:
– East Des Moines Union Depot, built in 1907 and located at 120 E. Fifth St.
– Standard Oil building and garage, built in 1932, and located at 702 Raccoon St.
– A small Art Moderne building, built in the early 1900s and located at East Sixth and East Market streets.
The proposal, which offers a blueprint for redeveloping the 260-acre Market District, said the architecture of each building is unique and important to preserve.
Ryan Moffatt, Des Moines’ economic development coordinator, agrees.
“Architecturally, [the buildings] represent the industrial heritage of the area, and that’s a distinction we want to preserve,” he said.
The master plan suggested that if the current owners of the Standard Oil building decide to leave the area, the building could be redeveloped into one or more destination restaurants. The garage located on the site could house pop-up retailers and vendor kiosks, the plan said.
