Page 102 - Reflect DSM (City of Des Moines, IA)

APPENDIX A: STAKEHOLDER SUMMARY REPORT

Des Moines Citywide Historic Preservation Plan

STAKEHOLDER SUMMARY REPORT

September 27, 2022

As part of the first phase of the Citywide Historic Preservation Plan project, the consultant team along with
city staff hosted a series of stakeholder and public input meetings to learn more about the existing historic
preservation program’s successes and challenges, to learn about the values of the community, and to start
generating ideas for improving the program in the future. In order to engage as many stakeholders as
possible, the consultant team traveled to Des Moines in late May/early June and again in August. Virtual
meetings were also held throughout the summer and continuing into late August to meet with additional
individuals and stakeholder groups. This Stakeholder Summary Report describes the meetings held by the
consultant team along with city staff and provides key findings from each meeting.

Advisory Committee Meetings
The first Advisory Committee meeting was held on June
1, 2022. The Advisory Committee for the Plan consists
of a series of individuals that represent a variety of
community groups and roles in Des Moines including
historic preservation consultants, historians, architects,
nonprofit leaders, developers, business owners,
contractors, Drake University representatives, Historic
Preservation Commission members, city councilors,
and city staff. Their diverse experiences and range of interests bring unique perspectives crucial to creating
a comprehensive, citywide historic preservation plan. Important to note is that while the initial meeting
included 12 committee members, city staff intended to include at least three more individuals who were
unable to make this first meeting.

To begin the meeting, a brief introduction to the project, the timeline, and the role of the Advisory
Committee was explained by the consultant team. Two questions were then posed to the committee
members: “What do you love about Des Moines?” and “What is your preservation concern and/or what do
you fear could be lost in Des Moines?” Committee members provided a wide variety of answers including:

• What do you love about Des Moines?
» Neighborhood nodes
» Adaptive reuse of many structures
» Neighborhoods
» East Village
» It’s a big, small town and feels like home
» Fabric of the city
» Mixed use
» Walkability to schools, amenities, local businesses
» Gray’s Lake including its history and current role
» Historic transportation corridors including the street car lines
» Park system
» Rivers and their role in how the city has evolved, and how citizens recreate

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