Construction will begin soon on a rowhouse development that will transform a long-time industrial site into a residential neighborhood next to Riverview Park in north Des Moines.

The city of Des Moines in March issued a building permit for the construction of a two-story, 12-unit rowhouse that will include one- and two-bedroom homes, a review shows. The site was originally home to Des Moines Cold Storage Co., which relocated several years ago.

In February 2023, Neighborhood Development Corp. acquired the property at 2814 Seventh St. for just over $1 million. The warehouse was razed and plans were made to redevelop the site with three 12-unit rowhouses and a commercial building. The project has since been divided into two phases with the first including the construction of two rowhouses, both of which include bicycle storage.

“We think this is a more comfortable scale for NDC to come into that new neighborhood,” said Saide Trytten, the nonprofit group’s executive director. “We’ll proceed with phase two when the market demands it. It might [be] in another 12 to 18 months. It just depends on how fast the [24] units lease up.”

The project introduces housing in an area that for decades was home to industrial and commercial businesses. It is also in an area that is being rejuvenated. Several commercial buildings have been rehabilitated about one-half mile to the north, near Sixth and Euclid avenues in the Highland Park/Oak Park neighborhood.

“We think it’s important to people to the area to live and to let them experience Riverview Park and the area’s walkability,” Trytten said. All of the units will have balconies and patios that face Riverview Park “so that people can enjoy the entertainment and views of the park and the [Des Moines] River.”

The recent rainy weather has delayed the start of construction, Trytten said. “Once things dry out a bit, we’ll start to see activity on the site.”

The permit issued in March valued the project at $1.6 million. It was among 10 permits issued in March for new commercial projects by Polk County and 13 communities in the Greater Des Moines area. The permits valued the new projects at $41.8 million.

Also in March, a permit was issued to transform a former retail space at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and Douglas Avenue into a community gathering place. The Monsoon Asian and Pacific Islanders in Solidarity Center will include a coffee shop operated by the organization, a gift shop that highlights Asian and Pacific Islanders’ culture and an adaptable event center. The group acquired the property in April 2025 for $820,000. A building permit valued the remodel project at $750,000.