Downtown YMCA

[Mastermind]

Jail could be used for YMCA homeless program

JEFF ECKHOFF • [email protected] • July 30, 2008

A controversial housing facility for down-on-their-luck men appears headed to move from the Riverfront YMCA in Des Moines to Polk County's interim jail.

Polk supervisors are expected to vote next week on a plan would give the interim jail to the YMCA in exchange for a “nominal” lease, possibly $1 a year. The deal would become final only if YMCA officials are able to raise the more than $6 million needed to revamp the building into a new dormitory.

Plans unveiled this morning call for the middle of the soon-to-be-emptied jail building to be demolished to create a center courtyard surrounded by 140 rooms. Work would be paid for without any county money, although Polk taxpayers would be asked to accept only a minimal value for a building that’s been assessed at $815,000.

“This appears to me to be a reasonable use,” Supervisor Robert Brownell told colleagues today. “It’s not a perfect solution. ... (But) there’s a sense of urgency with this particular housing population, because the Y that houses these people is going to come down.”

YMCA board members have worked for roughly a year to move the agency’s 188-room residence downtown away from pending development of the Des Moines riverwalk. The current 50-year-old facility has been named as a possible site for new street-level retail shops and a new hotel.
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Plans for a 120-bed transitional housing facility in the Fairground Neighborhood were dropped last fall after residents voiced fears of higher crime and lower property values if the project were built near their homes.

“It has become a political approval problem,” said architect and YMCA board member Daryl Metzger. “Finding a place where we can get approval is the biggest problem.”

Financing for the renovation likely will include both a local fund-raising drive and money from the U.S. Veteran’s Administration, which reportedly believes there is an under-served population of homeless veterans in Des Moines, Brownell said. The veterans organization, which currently controls 25 beds at the YMCA, would double that in exchange for providing a construction grant.

“It wouldn’t do the whole deal, but it would help,” Brownell said.

A recent study by Polk County staffers determined that the interim jail, scheduled to be emptied along with Polk County’s main lock-up when a new jail opens in November, also would make sense as a possible home for the Polk County Attorney’s Office or for a records unit of the court clerk’s office. Both of those offices are now occupy rented spaces that cost the county $232,200 and $228,939 annually.

However, renovating the jail for the County Attorney’s office would cost more than $5.3 million, administrators estimate. That means it would be decades before such a switch paid for itself.

Supervisor Angela Connolly said she intends to vote for moving ahead on the proposal.

“I think I can get there on this only because I think there’s a real need for transitional housing, and I’m concerned about what will happy if we don’t step up and deal with this,” Connolly said.

Supervisor Tom Hockensmith said the notion requires more study.

Polk officials have worked for years to get the county out of leased offices, Hockensmith said: “I don’t know what kind of message that sends to taxpayers if we’re going to go ahead and start giving buildings away.”

[Better Life dude]

The jail annex sounds good to me for the Y guys. Now could we blow off the studies and just do it?

[hawk61401]

Supervisor Tom Hockensmith said the notion requires more study.

Polk officials have worked for years to get the county out of leased offices, Hockensmith said: “I don’t know what kind of message that sends to taxpayers if we’re going to go ahead and start giving buildings away.”

Hockensmith fails to understand that this is a win-win situation for the city and the taxpayers. There always has to be one negatory who wants to hold back the city and progress.

[DMRyan]

This just seems like such a no-brainer to allow the redevelopment of the Y to move forward (which I hear has bought the old indoor ice rink in East Village to operate from in the interim).

If the old Polk County jail is to be mostly unoccupied, it also seems like a no-brainer to renovate the building into a courthouse annex instead of taking up the convention center for such a use. For some reason, I just have the feeling that this will be all flubbed up. The jail annex building under the viaduct is a great smaller building for transitional housing, but I could see the pressure to move the facility once again in 10 years if the south end of the downtown core starts to boom.

With the amount of large buildings starting to open up, the possiblities of some major facility transitions downtown are endless right now.

[Mastermind]

Don't forget this will be next to the propose DART Transit station, which would be a huge benefit to the Y inhabitants.

[dogbo]

I thought this was a news piece from the Register? What is with the editorializing???

A controversial housing facility for down-on-their-luck men...

Can we just report the facts please?

Anyway, this sounds like a good plan to me.

[GoVerticalDSM]

I wonder how companies like Wells Fargo and EMC will take this news. I'm sure they don't want these indigents sitting around harassing their employees as they walk to and from from the parking lots around the jail. I'm not saying all these guys will do it, but you're dreaming if you think it won't happen. I've seen the types hanging around the Y and what they do.

[spacebetween]

I am sure this is already happening, but wouldn't it make sense to spend time and resources trying to find a way to get these guys out of the provided housing? Where ever you "put" them there is going to be a downside and someone is not going to be happy. I would be interested to see the efforts to get them jobs, etc, so they are not dependant on provided housing or finding another solution to the problem. I am with GoVertical, I doubt the employers near the jail are going to be too keen on the idea.

[Philby]

Wells Fargo wouldn't probably be happy, but perhaps it would cause them (maybe with a little help from the city) to build another parking ramp right behind their current one so people wouldn't have to walk to those far lots...which would free up those lots for future development? allow people to park closer to downtown instead of across MLK?(which I think may be in the gray's landing area so might have to move soon anyway)

I think it would have a bigger effect on the archetectural salvalge building which would be unfortunate - but we'll see.

I definitely think it sounds like a plan that could be make to work, especially if the city gets feedback from surrounding businesses

[fostprei]

10th St. Lofts would be affected as well. All the parking for us is behind "The Gallery", right next to this facility.

[dogbo]

10th St. Lofts would be affected as well. All the parking for us is behind "The Gallery", right next to this facility.

10th St Lofts? Maybe I don't understand where this jail is. Isn't it at least 4 blocks to the east and a block or two south of 10th st lofts? If so, this should be a nonissue for them.

[spacebetween]

Dogbo, I believe you are speaking about the Brown-brick jail that is right off 6th street. I think the rest of us are speaking about the Grey jail that is under the 9th street Viaduct and right next to the Wells Fargo overflow parking. I guess it would make sense to understand which of the two buildings the article is focusing on...I thought the later.

[dogbo]

The rendering in the Register today definately wasn't of the brown brick blding. I just may not be familar where this building in question is actually located.

[DMRyan]

It's a red brick building about 3 stories tall that has the north side entirely painted black. It's between two viaducts in a pretty obscure location.

[spacebetween]

Are you 100% Ryan? I ran by the Gray one this morning, right next to West End Salvage, under the 9th Street Viaduct right by 9th and Cherry...and its sign says it is the INTERUM jail...which is what the article spoke to. I believe. Actually, the Brick jail would be better in my opinion because there is not really that much around there...but higher traffic.

[DMRyan]

You're right, this is the building immediately south of the existing downtown jail...right on the site of the proposed DART Transit Hub.

[DMRyan]

Both of those buildings are owned by Polk County though. I don't know if one is used for records storage or something.

[spacebetween]

Oh there are definately inmates in the Interum jail. They loaded them all on school busses when Downtown was voluntarly evacuated that Friday. It was a sight, 20 some school busses and a bunch of jailers with shot guns hanging out around the building while the loaded the inmates.

[dogbo]

Oh there are definately inmates in the Interum jail. They loaded them all on school busses when Downtown was voluntarly evacuated that Friday. It was a sight, 20 some school busses and a bunch of jailers with shot guns hanging out around the building while the loaded the inmates.

No...actually that was the Hawkeye football team here on a goodwill tour. Honest mistake though.

[hawk61401]

Oh there are definately inmates in the Interum jail. They loaded them all on school busses when Downtown was voluntarly evacuated that Friday. It was a sight, 20 some school busses and a bunch of jailers with shot guns hanging out around the building while the loaded the inmates.

I thought the capacity of the interim jail was a little over 300. I can't remember how many a school bus seats.
25 - 30? x 20 = 600 inmates.

here are some of them: http://www.iowaflood.com/4727/des-moines-polk-county-interim-jail-evacuated.html

[Mastermind]

Oh there are definately inmates in the Interum jail. They loaded them all on school busses when Downtown was voluntarly evacuated that Friday. It was a sight, 20 some school busses and a bunch of jailers with shot guns hanging out around the building while the loaded the inmates.

No...actually that was the Hawkeye football team here on a goodwill tour. Honest mistake though.

Sign this guy up for the Funnybone

[spacebetween]

Wow, how literal Hawk. I didnt actually COUNT the busses it was merely a guestimation. You didn't include the shotgun weilding guards into your calculations.

Funny Dogbo...very funny.

[Des Moineser]

School buses seat more like 60-70, but that's beside the point...

[hawk61401]

Waaay to go! Let's p*ss off a developer who has invested millions in downtown Des Moines and discourage other development.

Developer raps Polk officials on shelter plan
By JEFF ECKHOFF • [email protected] • August 21, 2008

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A developer responsible for $13 million worth of downtown Des Moines renovation blasted Polk County supervisors on Wednesday over a proposal to provide emergency housing for homeless men less than two blocks from his 148-loft development.

"We have completely turned this part of town around, and we don't want to see a homeless shelter in the middle of town," developer Ed Massman said. "That's not what forward-thinking people do."

Polk leaders are slated to vote Tuesday whether to lease the county's Interim Jail to the Riverfront YMCA for $1 a year. The tentative deal, contingent on the YMCA's ability to raise at least $6 million for renovations, would make the jail a new home for 140 indigent men, or about 10 fewer than the number who routinely occupy aging apartments at the downtown Y.


The YMCA board of directors says its facility, which is in the path of riverwalk redevelopment, poses fire safety problems that will make it uninsurable.

"I really don't understand why it can't stay where it is," Massman told supervisors Wednesday. "By saying, 'We're going to move it into your neighborhood,' you're basically saying you value them more than us."

Massman, a Dallas developer behind Tenth Street Lofts and Tenth & Cherry Studios, said development plans call for a recreation facility and hotel. He also has plans for a parking lot. Those plans will stop if the jail building goes to the YMCA, he said.

Traffic at a nearby pornography store is low enough that it hasn't hurt loft sales, Massman said, but "you put 150 homeless men" nearby, and "I think you'll have a parade back and forth."

Supervisor Robert Brown- ell said the county's choice is "we either put 150 or so homeless men on the street, or we put them somewhere else."

"This is not the perfect solution," Brownell said. "But of all the solutions that are out there, this probably makes the most sense."

Chairman John Mauro agreed, but supervisors E.J. Giovannetti and Tom Hockensmith balked at the notion of giving away a county building.

Supervisor Angela Connolly, who did not attend Wednesday's meeting, later said she favors the YMCA plan, "but if they find another location, I'll take a look at it."

YMCA board member Darryl Metzger said the issue is whether the agency's homeless programs will be allowed to continue.

"If we get a no from this board, I think we're beginning to understand that this community doesn't want what we do," Metzger said. "If we get a no, I think we're just about at the end of the trail."

[spacebetween]

This doesn't surprise me, of course the developer wants to do what he can do avoid putting the men there. I am mostly surprised EMC, Wells Fargo, and Nationwide/Allied are not making these comments as their businesses and employees would be most affected by the jail location and its potential new tenants. Maybe those companies are making those comments only they dont need to go to the press to get them heard.

[fostprei]

I knew Ed would be upset with this. (as obviously anyone with a ton of money vested in this 4 square block region would).

I would like to think that this won't have an affect on the apartments' success but with that many people living in a temporary housing facility in close proximity the demographic of the area will certainly change. The 10th and Cherry studios had just been cleared out to make way for renovations, thus clearing much of the remaining "loitering" and problematic people remaining in the area.

If I'm a 20 something female living in those lofts and I have to walk behind the porn shop at night to my car, I start to feel a lot less safe, especially with all of these guys pushed into the temp. jail. I was already leery being a 23 year old guy walking past there with the few characters you would encounter coming out of "The Gallery".

But..... they have to find a suitable place and somebody is going to be left unhappy wherever it goes. That is how it's going to work unfortunately. I just hope this doesn't halt the success the 10th street corridor has had in attracting renters downtown.

[hawk61401]

This isn't just about Ed Massman protecting his investment. It''s about anyone who has invested in downtown and the thousands that Des Moines wants to attract in the next few years for downtown living.

Back on October 25, 2007, 150 east side residents showed up at a public hearing to express their objections of this being relocated to Dean Ave. The city was intimidated and cowered to their interests. The city needs developers to continue to invest in the core and the thousands of new residents living downtown. The concerns of those present and future residents and developers are every bit as important as the concerns of the 150 east side residents.

It might sound politically incorrect, but what is more important for Des Moines? Continue to make Des Moines and particularly it's core attractive as possible, or, cave-in to the residents of the Dean Ave area? I vote with Ed Massman.

[SharpHawkeye]

A few things...

First, didn't you call this a "win-win" earlier, Hawk? Not only that, but you chided Hockensmith for wanting to delay the project and study it further.

Second, you say

The concerns of those present and future residents and developers are every bit as important as the concerns of the 150 east side residents.

But, you go on to say that the city shouldn't "cave in" to the concerns of the Dean Ave. residents. Which is it? Are everyone's concerns equal or do the concerns of Massman and the current and potential downtown residents mean more than the concerns of Dean Ave. residents? Is it alright for the city to crap all over the east side if it means a stronger core?

[spacebetween]

Puting these guys next to an elementary school on the east side is not the right thing to do, but I also dont believe putting them in an old jail in the core is good either. I am not sure there is a win-win here as it is a touchy subject where ever you put them. I would rather the city work on finding them jobs or building their lives more so we dont have to house them. I understand those efforts may already be underway, but I am not familiar with them.

[Mototail]

Someone find out how Minneapolis and KC have dealt with issues like these. This isn' t something unique to DM. So what if there is a porn shop near them. He knew about the place in advance and he knew what was surrounding the area. What's the difference between having the jail full of "wrong-doers" as some would say v. people that are down on their luck in the current economy? (or some jazz along that line) The move benefits much of anyone and if the developer has a problem he can get more security or figure something else out. Just cause it's right next door doesn't mean there will be a problem. Most crime isn't giving a flag-waving when it comes at you!!