Construction of an apartment complex at the former Des Moines Cold Storage warehouse site, overlooking Riverview Park, is set to begin in the coming weeks.
Why it matters: The first major development in the area since the park’s renovation a few years ago is expected to be a key driver of new growth, Sadie Trytten, executive director of Neighborhood Development Corp. (NDC), tells Axios.
Catch up quick: Riverview is a former amusement park that closed in the late 1970s and was converted into a nature preserve and city park.
- Neighborhood leaders spent years advocating for and raising money to transform the largely unused area into a recreational destination, including trails, playground equipment and an amphitheater accommodating 6,000 people.
Zoom in: One of the challenges of nearby redevelopment was the vacant warehouse near Seventh Street and New York Avenue.
- NDC, a nonprofit that revives neighborhoods, purchased the 3-acre property in 2023 with plans to redevelop the building into a restaurant or brewery.
Yes, but: The building had asbestos contamination and had fallen into such a state of disrepair that the plan was impractical, resulting in its demolition last year…