The city of Des Moines plans to purchase three aging buildings in the Highland Park neighborhood in hopes of preserving a strip of properties that dates from 1900 to 1930.
City Council will vote on a resolution at its Monday, Feb. 23, meeting to authorize negotiations to buy 206, 208 and 210 Euclid Ave., according to the agenda. The properties would join under city ownership 200 Euclid Ave., an adjacent 119-year-old building that formerly housed an International Order of Odd Fellows fraternal hall, according to a memo prepared for the council.
The four buildings make up the last intact, contiguous block of commercial structures within the College Corner Commercial Historic District, the memo said.
The old Odd Fellows hall has deteriorated and is in need of stabilization, the memo says. Listed among the Des Moines Heritage Trust’s most endangered buildings, the 3-story structure has 12 apartments and a ground-floor commercial space, and has been deemed unfit for occupancy.
The price tag for the three additional buildings cannot exceed $600,000, per the council’s resolution. The city signed a $500,000 purchase agreement for the former fraternal hall and is preparing to close on the property, the council memo said.
What are the city’s plans for the College Corner Commercial Historic District?
Acquiring the additional historic buildings “significantly improves the feasibility” of their restoration for residential and commercial use, according to the council memo.
If the council approves the resolution, city staff will draw up a final purchase agreement for council approval. Work to stabilize the building will follow, then a request for proposals from developers with historic rehabilitation and affordable housing experience, the memo said.
Consolidating the College Corner Commercial Historic District also allows the city to leverage low-income housing tax credits and historic tax credits. These will be essential to the financial viability of the preservation project, the memo said.
What’s the history of the College Corner Commercial Historic District?
At the corner of Euclid Avenue and Second Street, the Odd Fellows Hall served Highland Park College, which merged with Des Moines College and Central University of Iowa in 1918.
Originally a meeting spot for the IOOF fraternity, the hall became a landmark building in the commercial district of the college, which according to history website lostcolleges.com, closed in 1929. The college was on the site of what is now Park Fair Mall and is not connected to the current Des Moines University, an osteopathic medical school in West Des Moines.
The condition of the 1907 building is below normal, according to the county assessor. The original lodge halls and offices have been removed and layers of paint obscure the architectural details, according to the Des Moines Heritage Trust.
As for the other three properties, they are in normal conditions, assessor records show. They are 2-story structures.
Kate Kealey is the growth and development reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on X at @Kkealey17.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: City of Des Moines eyes buying 3 historic Highland Park properties
Reporting by Kate Kealey, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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