Community Coalition – Douglas Avenue Coalition https://douglasave.org Working together to foster vibrant businesses along Douglas Avenue in Des Moines, IA Mon, 02 Dec 2019 13:49:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0.3 In the News https://douglasave.org/2019/11/26/in-the-news/ https://douglasave.org/2019/11/26/in-the-news/#respond Tue, 26 Nov 2019 02:41:56 +0000 http://douglasave.org/?p=544 Here are some recent news stories involving the Douglas Avenue Corridor!

 

 

 

 

 

]]> https://douglasave.org/2019/11/26/in-the-news/feed/ 0 August Update https://douglasave.org/2018/08/17/august-update/ https://douglasave.org/2018/08/17/august-update/#respond Fri, 17 Aug 2018 03:26:07 +0000 http://douglasave.org/?p=468 Hello DAC supporters! It’s been a long time since I have posted an update so here goes!

The plan for our Douglas Avenue corridor has been on hold while city officials work with the state and the DOT to iron out some details regarding Douglas Avenue and what changes can or cannot be made. As part of these discussions a more in-depth traffic study was desired and city council approved this traffic study along with an extension of our contract with RDG to complete the plan on a new timeline.

Below are some of the key milestones we have received from Laura Peters:

  • July: Traffic Data
    • The Design Team received traffic projection data from MoveDSM and the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
  • August – mid-September: Traffic Study
    • The Design Team will be using the traffic projection data to further evaluate Corridor improvement strategies. This study will be reviewed with the Technical Committee including the DOT.
  • Mid-September: Steering Committee Update
    • We anticipate having our next Steering Committee meeting in mid-September to share the results of the Traffic Study and its influence on the design scenarios.

Thank you, Laura, for this update! And thank you to everyone for your patience as the schedule has extended. We are now aiming for final plan approval in December.

I hope you all are enjoying your summer. Thanks for all your support to improve the Douglas Avenue corridor!

Brian O’Leary
President, Douglas Avenue Coalition
]]> https://douglasave.org/2018/08/17/august-update/feed/ 0 How You Can Participate in December https://douglasave.org/2017/12/03/participate-in-december/ https://douglasave.org/2017/12/03/participate-in-december/#respond Sun, 03 Dec 2017 15:49:03 +0000 http://douglasave.org/?p=445 There are two opportunities for you to help with the Douglas Avenue corridor plan this December!

1. Take Our Online Survey

Please take ten minutes to complete our online survey: http://bit.ly/dacsurv
This is important to help guide the focus of the plan moving forward. Whether you were at our public kickoff in November or you missed it, we want everyone to fill out this survey!

Take Online Survey

 

2. Share Feedback During Our Open House

Drop in any time during our two-day open house on December 12th and 13th. The VIP room of Plaza Lanes will be open to the public both days from 5pm to 7pm. This open house features a unique design studio where RDG staff will be drawing up concepts and ideas on-the-spot based on public input. This is an important opportunity for you to share your likes and dislikes before the plan really starts to take shape. So don’t miss this one!

Here are Calendar events to help you remember:

Thank you for your participation!

]]> https://douglasave.org/2017/12/03/participate-in-december/feed/ 0 First Public Input Meeting a Huge Success https://douglasave.org/2017/11/21/public-kickoff/ https://douglasave.org/2017/11/21/public-kickoff/#respond Tue, 21 Nov 2017 01:00:59 +0000 http://douglasave.org/?p=428 Wow! We had a fantastic kickoff open house on Wednesday, November 15th!

The VIP room of Plaza Lanes was packed with standing room only as Brian O’Leary and Justin Platts delivered opening comments. Justin, the team lead from RDG Planning and Design, reviewed what has been done, what can be expected over the next six months, and how our community can help. The evening was then quickly turned over to the open house portion where people shared ideas in small group settings at stations dedicated to various aspects of the plan.

If you missed the public kickoff, don’t worry! You will have another opportunity to discuss the plan with RDG soon. First, please take a few moments to complete our online survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/douglasave. This is important to help guide the focus of the plan moving forward.

Your next opportunity to take part in this plan is during a two-day open house on December 12th and 13th. The VIP room of Plaza Lanes will be open to the public both days from 5pm to 7pm. This open house features a unique design studio where RDG staff will be drawing up concepts and ideas on-the-spot based on public input. This is an important opportunity for you to share your likes and dislikes before the plan really starts to take shape. So don’t miss this one!

Here are the Facebook events:

Below are some photos from the kickoff open house. Thank you to everyone who participated!

]]> https://douglasave.org/2017/11/21/public-kickoff/feed/ 0 Corridor Planning is Underway! https://douglasave.org/2017/10/25/corridor-planning-underway/ https://douglasave.org/2017/10/25/corridor-planning-underway/#respond Wed, 25 Oct 2017 03:25:48 +0000 http://douglasave.org/?p=404 The much anticipated planning process of our Douglas Avenue Corridor plan kicked off on Thursday, October 19th!

Planning efforts are now underway to re-imagine and re-energize a three-mile segment of Douglas Avenue, stretching from Merle Hay Road east to the Des Moines River. The project is being spearheaded by the Douglas Avenue Coalition, who made a formal request to the City for planning services in 2016. The Douglas Avenue Coalition is a partnership between local businesses, property owners, non-profit organizations, and residents who envision Douglas Avenue as a vital destination for shopping, dining, recreation, commerce, and more.

Local firm RDG Planning & Design is leading the 6 to 8 month planning effort, and community input will be collected in a series of public meetings throughout the project timeline. Corridor plans typically address items such as land use, traffic flow, walkability, beautification strategies, infrastructure needs, economic incentives, and redevelopment opportunities. The final plan will assist property owners, the City, government agencies, and developers in determining how best to reinvest in the Douglas Avenue area.

Join us in the revitalization of the Douglas Avenue business corridor! Your participation starts with our big public kick-off open house to be held Wednesday, November 15th from 6:30 to 8pm at the Plaza Lanes VIP Room. A brief presentation and introduction will start the evening followed by browsing various stations around the room that focus on different aspects of the plan such as walkability and safety, redevelopment opportunities, beautification, and more.

You won’t want to miss this open house. Please share our Facebook event to help us spread the word: https://www.facebook.com/events/1544060655654276

Click the graphic below for an overview of the plan creation schedule.

 

Here are photos of the steering committee in their kick-off meeting with RDG.

]]> https://douglasave.org/2017/10/25/corridor-planning-underway/feed/ 0 DAC Sept 26 Public Meeting – Success! https://douglasave.org/2017/09/29/public-meeting-20170926/ https://douglasave.org/2017/09/29/public-meeting-20170926/#respond Fri, 29 Sep 2017 01:58:27 +0000 http://douglasave.org/?p=322 What a great public meeting we had on September 26th, 2017 in the VIP Suite of Plaza Lanes Family Sports Complex! We had over 50 people in attendance to learn about the efforts of the Douglas Avenue Coalition, hear about exciting recent successes, and engage in a question and answer session.

We would like to share a huge THANK YOU to our elected and appointed officials who attended the meeting and showed their support. They include:

  • Janet Petersen, Iowa State Senator
  • Angela Connolly, Polk County Supervisor
  • Bill Gray, Des Moines City Council
  • Chris Coleman, Des Moines City Council
  • Phil Delafield, Director of Des Moines Community Development

We certainly wouldn’t have made it this far without your support.

Left to right: Luke Lynch (DAC board), Randy Thompson (Plaza Lanes Owner), Charles Hill (DAC VP), Chris Coleman (City Council), Angela Connolly (Polk County Supervisor), Darrell Sarmento (DSM West Side Chamber Director), Bill Gray (City Council), Brian O’Leary (DAC President), Cory Scott (RDG Project Planner)

Please read on for highlights from the meeting…

Update from Des Moines West Side Chamber

Many thanks to Darrell Sarmento, Executive Director of the Des Moines West Side Chamber of Commerce for sharing an enthusiastic update about all that is going on with our business community on the west side of Des Moines. They recently hosted a narrated economic bus tour through the Beaverdale area, Merle Hay Road area, Drake University, Uptown Shopping Center area, the Roosevelt Cultural District, The Avenues of Ingersoll & Grand, MLK Jr. Pkwy, and the Douglas Ave. Corridor. Tour participants learned about projects that have been recently completed, are currently in process, and what is proposed concerning the economic development and improvements in these areas. The Des Moines west side currently has over $200 million in projects and improvements. Wow! We encourage all of our business owners and commercial property owners to check them out and join if you are not already a member. They do a lot to help promote the success of Des Moines businesses. Thank you, Des Moines West Side Chamber!

 

Partnership with RDG Announced

The Douglas Avenue Coalition was excited to announce approval by the City of Des Moines to hire RDG Planning and Design to complete a corridor plan for the Douglas Avenue corridor! This approval includes $174,000 budgeted for RDG to combine public engagement, economic and market analysis, and innovative urban design concepts to complete the plan. At the end of this process (which is anticipated to last about 6 to 8 months), we will have a plan that involves streetscape improvements, recommendations for private property improvements, and conceptual site plans for locations along the corridor. The plan will also include cost estimates and phasing to help us incrementally implement parts of the plan and seek federal, state, and local funding opportunities to fund each phase. Special thanks to Cory Scott, Project Planner from RDG, for attending our meeting and sharing his knowledge of the process and answering many of the questions from the audience. Community Development Directory Phil Delafield was also a wealth of information during this Q & A portion of the evening. We’re determined to keep this moving along quickly and we will be kicking off a meeting between RDG and our steering committee in early October to get this process started.  RDG has decades of planning, architecture, economics, landscape architecture, and engineering experience. They have had plans presented at the National American Planning Association (APA) conference and received numerous awards for Best Plan and Plan Implementation by several state chapters of the APA. Plus they are a local company and are enthusiastic to be working on a project in their own backyard. We are certainly thrilled to have RDG developing this plan for us. Welcome aboard, RDG!

Lead Story on WHO

Did you catch us on the news? WHO featured the Douglas Avenue Coalition as its lead story at 9pm and 10pm on September 26th. You can watch the clip on their website:

Douglas Avenue Coalition featured on WHO news

http://whotv.com/2017/09/26/coalition-discusses-project-to-revitalize-douglas-avenue/

Thank You!

Thank you to all of you who attended. We are fortunate to have a community who takes pride in the neighborhood and has engaged themselves with this project. Such interest and engagement will go a long way towards ensuring a successful outcome.

We want to thank our gracious hosts and owner/manager of Plaza Lanes Family Sports Complex, Randy Thompson and Melody Gray. Thank you both; the venue was perfect and we are proud to have you in our business corridor, a staple in our community, and involved with the DAC.

More Photos From the Evening

]]> https://douglasave.org/2017/09/29/public-meeting-20170926/feed/ 0 DAC to host public meeting Sept 26 https://douglasave.org/2017/09/15/dac-to-host-public-meeting-sept-26/ https://douglasave.org/2017/09/15/dac-to-host-public-meeting-sept-26/#respond Fri, 15 Sep 2017 01:35:51 +0000 http://douglasave.org/?p=296 The Douglas Avenue Coalition will host a public meeting Tuesday, October 26, 6:30 – 8:00 pm, at Plaza Lanes (in the VIP room). The address is 2701 Douglas Avenue. The public is invited to bring their questions, hear about DAC’s progress over the last year, and get involved in the coalition’s mission to make the Douglas Avenue corridor a place where people want to live, work, and play. This is a great opportunity to meet with your neighborhood leaders, city staff, city council members, county supervisor, state senator, and more! Everyone is welcome! Please share our Facebook event to get the word out: https://www.facebook.com/events/1749793768387642/

Public Meeting

]]> https://douglasave.org/2017/09/15/dac-to-host-public-meeting-sept-26/feed/ 0 Douglas Avenue Corridor $174k Plan APPROVED! https://douglasave.org/2017/09/11/douglas-avenue-corridor-plan-approved/ https://douglasave.org/2017/09/11/douglas-avenue-corridor-plan-approved/#respond Mon, 11 Sep 2017 19:29:52 +0000 http://douglasave.org/?p=293 Thank you councilman Bill Gray and Chris Coleman for speaking on behalf of this project. Des Moines City Council, thank you for approving an agreement with RDG for the development of the Douglas Avenue Corridor Plan. Our neighborhoods and businesses are excited to make progress on this plan!

This was item #10 on the Des Moines City Council Meeting held Monday, September 11th, 2017:

10. Approving Professional Services Agreement with RDG Planning & Design for the
development of the Douglas Avenue Corridor Plan.
(Council Communication No. 17-631)

Click that communication link for more details. The approved amount was for $174,000. Here is the synopsis from the council communication:

The City of Des Moines has selected RDG to prepare a Corridor Plan for Douglas Avenue, from Merle Hay Road east to the Des Moines River. The goal of this planning effort is to develop a revitalization strategy that establishes community consensus for a desired outcome, and creates an implementation plan to be used by the City, developers, and others as a guide for future development and redevelopment of the Douglas Avenue Corridor.

]]> https://douglasave.org/2017/09/11/douglas-avenue-corridor-plan-approved/feed/ 0 We’re on the Agenda! https://douglasave.org/2017/09/08/were-on-the-agenda/ https://douglasave.org/2017/09/08/were-on-the-agenda/#respond Fri, 08 Sep 2017 01:36:31 +0000 http://douglasave.org/?p=289 City Council AgendaThe next Des Moines City Council Meeting, to be held this Monday, September 11th, includes the approval of a planning and design firm to be hired for the Douglas Avenue Corridor Plan. City council, let’s get this approved and get this project moving forward!

]]> https://douglasave.org/2017/09/08/were-on-the-agenda/feed/ 0 Proposal Selected for the Corridor Plan https://douglasave.org/2017/08/05/proposal-selected-for-the-corridor-plan/ https://douglasave.org/2017/08/05/proposal-selected-for-the-corridor-plan/#respond Sat, 05 Aug 2017 21:52:10 +0000 http://douglasave.org/?p=280 Hello neighbors and supporters of Douglas Avenue! We’re excited to share with you that progress continues in our efforts to improve the Douglas Avenue corridor in northwest Des Moines! Just recently a selection committee studied multiple proposals and selected the one who will be developing our comprehensive corridor plan. We are still awaiting final approval and then we will officially announce our selection. Please stay tuned!

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