DES MOINES, Iowa — The owners of Merle Hay Mall have submitted a new proposal to build a standalone, multi-purpose arena on the site of the former Younkers store, replacing an older plan to retrofit the arena into the existing building.
The new plan was presented to the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) on Sept. 19 and requires renewed approval for a state financing package.
An earlier plan tried to adapt the arena into the shell of Younkers, a department store chain that became an online-only retailer in 2018 after its parent company went bankrupt. The new plan calls for demolishing the existing store and constructing an all-new building attached to the north end of the mall…