As Merle Hay Mall works on $12 million in renovations, a new vision plan for the Merle Hay neighborhood calls for further streetscape and infrastructure improvements, a possible business association and other methods for reviving the entire commercial corridor.

The plan, drafted by the City of Des Moines in collaboration with the Merle Hay Neighborhood Association, was presented to the Polk County Board of Supervisors this morning. It is the third of five neighborhood plans the city is working on. This plan has taken about 18 months to complete and encompasses more than 10,000 residents in the area defined as the city’s corporate boundary to the west, 49th Street to the east, Aurora Ave. to the north and University Ave. to the south.

Top priorities, identified by those who attended a neighborhood meeting on Aug. 14, include visual improvements to the intersection of Merle Hay Road, Hickman Road and Merklin Way, improvements to the curb appeal of the neighborhood and storm-water mitigation updates.

Commercial real estate is a huge focus of the plan; many of the district’s retail buildings along Merle Hay Road were built more than 30 years ago and are at a disadvantage compared with newer retail space throughout Greater Des Moines. Many of the buildings have vacant space.

With a tax-increment financing district around the mall, which the city approved in June, the city is looking at using funds to finance other façade, streetscape and sidewalk improvements. Other changes could involve rezoning sections along Merle Hay Road from residential to commercial use, giving the commercial district more room to expand. The plan mentions areas behind the commercial buildings lining Merle Hay Road, Douglas Avenue and Hickman Road.

“It’s one of those areas where there’s probably going to have to be some compromises made between the residential areas and commercial areas to really allow that commercial area the opportunity to remain vital and grow in the future,” said Dave Dunn, assistant planner with the city of Des Moines’ Community Development department.

The plan also calls for updating the area’s housing stock, with the majority of homes lacking desirable amenities such as multiple bathrooms, three bedrooms and two-car garages. As of Sept. 30, the Neighborhood Finance Corp. has made 71 loans worth $2.4 million to residents in the neighborhood.