Page 104 - Reflect DSM (City of Des Moines, IA)

Outreach Coordinator Cohort

In order to go beyond traditional outreach methods, this project incorporates a group referred to as the
Outreach Coordinator Cohort (OCC). This group will consist of up to ten community members, referred
to as “ambassadors”, that are tasked with conducting interviews with their family, friends, and neighbors
in order to learn more about what they value in Des Moines and what they think the goals of the historic
preservation program should be in the years to come. Finding individuals willing to offer their time to
serve on this commmittee has proven to be a challenge. While still working on recruiting ambassadors,
a precursor to an official training was held in August, meeting with a series of individuals tapped into
different organizations including Embarc, ArtForce Iowa, and the Iowa Office of Latino Affairs. This meeting
provided an opportunity to give more information about the goals of the OCC and the responsibilities of
the ambassadors. Some of the participants at this meeting were willing to be ambassadors for this outreach
effort, and others are working on connecting the project team with other community members who may be
interested. A virtual training for the OCC will be held in October before the ambassadors conduct interviews
in their communities. The input the OCC collects will contribute to the analysis of the exising historic
preservation program and help shape the goals and policies for the future of preservation in Des Moines.

Public Workshop

In order to introduce the community to the project, an open house was held on the evening of Thursday,
June 2nd from 5:30pm-7:30pm. The open house began with a short presentation by the consultant team
that discussed the existing historic preservation program and its components, goals for the updated plan,
how to ensure the Plan is equitable, the project timeline, and opportunities for participation. After the
presentation, participants divided into groups of three to five people to discuss three main questions. After
spending 10-15 minutes discussing each question, each group shared key points from their discussion. The
questions and key points made are included below:

1. What has been lost, almost lost, or is not appreciated?
» Shops, small retail, family-owned and neighborhood-based businesses
» Center Street
» Vitality of parks, especially regarding distribution and equity
» Character of neighborhoods including loss of narrow streets, street trees, and sidewalks
» The human cost, especially when people are displaced from neighborhoods
» Historic schools and churches
» Small scale apartment buildings in single-family neighborhoods
» Trolley system
» Mixed-income neighborhoods
» Small, neighborhood grocery stores
» Small retail shopping centers

2. In a future Des Moines, what must be protected, re-used, and celebrated?
» Neighborhood uniqueness and diversity
» Walkable, human scale
» Cultural history, including places and stories like Fort Des Moines
» Beautiful architecture like 2900 Grand, the former Governors residence; renovations need to be supported
» River access and beach activities
» Public park options
» Activities for youth like roller skating, theaters, bowling, arcades, etc, which should be located in
neighborhoods
» Walkable, human-scale, mixed-use corridors
» Fabric of neighborhoods (invest and stabilize with demo as a last resort)
» Tree canopy
» Original business districts
» Protected bike lanes and safe streets
» Affordable housing stock
» Multigenerational homes
3

98 DES MOINES Citywide Historic Preservation Plan