City Council agenda: DM park to get pickleball courts; Second Avenue corridor makeover

The multi-year, multi-million dollar overhaul of the Second Avenue corridor on Des Moines' northwest side is pushing forward.

On Monday, the Des Moines City Council is set to approve construction bids to reconstruct Second Avenue from University Avenue to the Des Moines River, estimated to cost $17.5 million.

The project is part of a larger effort that started last year to make several major renovations to infrastructures on Second Avenue, which includes replacing the Second Avenue Bridge over Birdland Drive, installing a new storm sewer along the west side of Second Avenue, and repairing its roadways and intersections.

Also pending council approval, the city could hire Des Moines-based OPN Architects to start phase one of the city's plan to move the Des Moines Police Department and other city employees into the Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. office building downtown. It will also consider accepting a donation to help build pickleball courts at Stone Park on the south side, and put out construction bids for a sprayground at Burke Park on the city's northeast side. Iowa's special operations teams could also be getting nearly half a million to replace their tactical gear.

Here are the highlights:

Second Avenue corridor to get $17.5 million makeover

The estimated $17.5 million Second Avenue Reconstruction project encompasses the roughly one-mile stretch from University Avenue to the Des Moines River, according to a council communications memo. City officials say the makeover, which will include everything from pavement reconstruction to water main replacement, is expected to improve safety on the corridor.

The project could impact 52 properties along the stretch, most notably the Planned Parenthood warehouse on 123 Clark St., which the city purchased for $1.4. million from the organization through a "voluntary agreement" in May, City Engineer Steve Naber previously told the Des Moines Register.

More: Planned Parenthood book sale volunteers in Des Moines 'heartsick' as its last chapter begins

According to the city, here's what's included in the reconstruction:

• Full pavement reconstruction of four lanes with 11-foot-wide lanes, new curbs and gutters and new five-foot-wide sidewalks on both sides.

• Realignment of the east leg of Forest Avenue at the intersection of Second Avenue to align with the west leg of the Forest and Second intersection.

• Realignment of the east leg of Clark Street at the intersection of Second Avenue to align with the west leg of the Clark and Second intersection.

• Adding left-turn lanes at the following intersections along Second Avenue: Franklin, College and Forest avenues, and Clark Street.

• Eliminating and/or consolidating driveway accesses along the corridor to reduce the number of conflict points/turning movements.

• Installing new storm water sewer along the west side of Second Avenue, from College Avenue to the Des Moines River.

• Replacing the water main under Second Avenue by Des Moines Water Works.

Construction is slated to start in 2024 and wrap up by the fall of 2026, according to the council memo. Utility work could start in the fall of 2023.

Des Moines looks to hire OPN Architects for Nationwide building design for police HQ, other city offices

Des Moines is looking to hire OPN Architects to produce a detailed architectural plan for the Nationwide building — a process that could take the rest of this year and next year.

The deal ― $30 million for the office building, $10 million for the garage, plus an estimated $16 million in initial renovation costs ― would give the city the five-floor, 360,000-square-foot insurance building at 1200 Locust St., which, once renovated, could serve as a new police headquarters and house city workers operating in the deteriorated, century-old Argonne Armory on the east bank of the Des Moines River near City Hall.

The Nationwide building's neighboring parking ramp, at 1200 Mulberry St., could serve as a space for police cars and employee parking, as well as for some other police facilities.

OPN was one of the firms that conducted a Pre-Design Space Needs and Test Fit Study to investigate whether the city should purchase the Nationwide building along with its parking garage to house multiple city departments under one roof. The results were published in July.

More: Could a Nationwide office building house the Des Moines Police Department? A study says yes.

If approved by City Council, the city would hire the architectural firm to sketch out the office design and renovation, along with engineering plans, for the Nationwide building, according to a council communications memo. It'll be the first part of Phase 1 of the project, estimated at about $2.2 million. The entirety of Phase 1 could cost about $19 million, according to the memo.

Another primary goal of Phase 1 is to vacate the Argonne Armory Building and leased spaces at Polk County River Place and consolidate department staff that currently work in separate building locations, according to a council communications memo. Phase 1 could also include:

• Selective demolition and interior renovation of portions of the 1200 Locust office building for city administrative offices, public meeting rooms, customer service areas and lobbies.

• Building infrastructure improvements associated with the renovation, including structural, mechanical, and electrical work.

• Modifications at the 1200 Mulberry parking garage to accommodate city fleet vehicles, including electric charging stations.

The city is set to purchase the building at the end of the year, according to assistant city manager Jim Hoff.

Sprayground, pickleball courts: 2 Des Moines parks are getting upgrades

Stone Park is slated to get four pickleball courts, making it Des Moines' first multi-court pickleball facility. EMC Downtown Park has one pickleball court.

On Monday, the City Council is expected to vote on whether to accept a $581,000 donation from Mary K. and Daniel M. Kelly Family Foundation toward the estimated $1.7 million courts, according to a council communications memo.

The pickleball courts, which will have accessible entrance gates, a bleacher pad, and LED court lighting, are just one of the ongoing updates planned for the Indianola Hills neighborhood park, the memo states. A new futsal court is also in the works. The nearly 16-acre park, acquired in 1925, features an open lawn, a basketball court, a playground, an open-air shelter, a community garden and Pioneer Park Community Recreation Center, according to the city.

Burke Park at 601 East University Ave. could get a new sprayground, along with a limestone block wall and sidewalks. On Monday, the council will vote on whether to put out bids to hire a contractor for the estimated $565,000 project, according to a council communications memo. If approved, the updates could be completed by the fall of 2024, the memo states.

Iowa's SWAT, bomb detection teams to get nearly half a million dollars in grant funding

The Des Moines Police Department is slated to receive nearly half a million dollars in grant funding on behalf of Iowa's special operations teams to purchase tactical gear.

In February, City Council approved the Des Moines Police Department's request to apply for a Homeland Security grant on behalf of the dozen weapons of mass destruction/special weapons and tactics and explosive ordnance detection teams across Iowa. The grant is meant to assist state and local governments that prevent and respond to acts of terrorism and other threats.

More: See what's on Iowa's SWAT, bomb detection teams' $1.4 million shopping list

Out of the $1.2 million the state applied for from the 2023 Homeland Security Grant Program, it received $467,120, according to a council communications memo. The state's WMD/SWAT teams will get $262,047 of the funds and the EOD teams will get $205,073. The council on Monday will vote on whether to accept funding from the program.

All of the money will be used to replace expired safety equipment and purchase new equipment needed to assist the teams during incidents in low-light settings, according to the memo.

WMD/SWAT teams are trained to respond to terrorist use of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosives. There are five across the state: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Mason City, and two in the Iowa State Patrol.

The state's seven EOD teams in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Johnson and Pottawattamie counties, the Quad Cities and the Iowa State Fire Marshal are trained to detect, disarm, and dispose of explosive threats, Des Moines Police Sgt. Paul Parizek previously told the Register.

Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: City Council agenda: Des Moines park could get pickleball courts