The funding for a feasibility study of a tram running from Western Gateway Park to the East Village will be provided by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., announced by the city of Des Moines, Downtown Community Alliance, Polk County and Nationwide this afternoon.

For the past eight years, “(Nationwide) has been looking for an opportunity to work with the city and county to continue to expand the development of downtown Des Moines,” said Kim Austen, president of Allied Insurance, a subsidiary of Nationwide. “This seemed like a logical way to do that. It gives us a chance to help people see the city in a new light.”

The cost of the study has not yet been determined, but is estimated to be between $150,000 and $250,000, Austen said. Factors, such as cost, type and style of the tram, routes, infrastructure needs, funding options and timeline, will be determined through the study. The tram feasibility study is a result of the Downtown Plan that is guiding the development in downtown Des Moines over the next 20 years.

Mayor Frank Cownie said “it is about how we connect all the projects,” from Western Gateway Park to the East Village, making it a usable area and moving people around. A steering committee is being formed by the formed by the city of Des Moines and the Downtown Community Alliance to oversee the study; the next step in the process will be to request proposals from consultants and teams to complete the study.

This tram feasibility study “isn’t just about when we want to do it, it’s about how we are going to do it,” said Mary Lawyer president and CEO of the Downtown Community Alliance. “We already know we are a tram-friendly city.”