Sherman Hill: Kingsway Cathedral

[WesternIaGuy]

Now can they take the fence down and maybe clean it up some? i have driven in the parking lot awhile ago and took some pictures and noticed the back door ajar, no one care? youd think the congrgation would watch over it as its still theres. But YAY for not putting up a gas station, i think converting it to Apartments would be Great and definately something new for Des Moines!

[Better Life dude]

Here's some links I found showing excellent examples of adaptive reuse of churches and turing them into condos, offices, night clubs, community centers, performance spaces, wedding reception/events centers, etc.. One in Atlanta is a nightclub where Slipknot has performed! It just shows what can be done with Kingsway Cathedral with some outside the box thinking from a developer. (Scroll down a little on the first link for some pics)
Link: http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/print.html&client=html&f=15&t=34389

Here's an architects office in Houston, TX in a former church building:
http://www.english-architects.com/Projects/1919%20Decatur.html

[DMRyan]

There's a former church in downtown Dubuque that's now the site of an Italian restaurant called Da Vinci's (not that sh*tty chain in college towns, but a great little local spot). That's one of the closest examples of a recently converted church I can think of. I

[QuadCityImages]

There's a sports bar in the Illinois QC that I believe is in a former church. I know there was some controversy a few years back because they wanted to name it Hail Mary's Last Chance, I think. It ended up being called 3rd and 22 (the intersection it was at, and a bad football situation) and it may have recently closed. So I guess that's not the best example...

[Better Life dude]

I went to the DSM city council meeting tonight. Among many other items the Council voted unanimously to grant an indefinite extension (up to six months) to stop demolition permits for Kingsway and the duplex next door. Even better, the Mayor and Council want to include the Drake and Woodland Neighborhood Associations with the Sherman Hill Neighborhood Association in working with the city's development department on more of an overall plan for an area roughly running from Drake down Cottage Grove Ave. across the vast open space at MLK Blvd. and Cottage Grove, the Kingsway block, and southeastward down Crocker and 15th Street towards the Gateway area.

Because the Sherman Hill sub-committee is coming up with some creative ideas for this whole area, they've done an excellent job of expanding the conversation beyond just Regency Commercial wanting to put a convenience store on the site. You can tell the members of the council want to explore more these ideas. One council member mentioned out loud how loathe he is to the idea of a convenience store at the Kingsway sight. All in all, this bodes well for figuring out a way to save the church, the duplex and still develop the surrounding blocks. Stay tuned.

[dogbo]

I'm all for this church being demolished if the right development gets proposed for the site. This little corner of Sherman Hill is really hurting. The church is crumbling down, Planned Parenthood moved their offices to the Drake Neighborhood, the Smokey Row Coffee Shop renovation is nothing but a pipe dream at this point. Some major work needs to be done on this corridor, and it's not an easy spot to develop.

I don't think the Historic District Commission should be in any rush to give the green light for demolition until an appropriate development proposal comes forward.

Care to take that back Ryan?

Full steam ahead for Smokey Row Coffee House
Posted 7/24/2008 11:46 AM CDT
The sign promising Smokey Row Coffee House will occupy the old building at 19th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue in Sherman Hill has been up for nearly three years. At last, that project appears to be moving ahead and when it's complete, it should be quite an asset to that neighborhood.
Smokey Row can be described as a coffee shop/cafe/soda fountain. Coffee will be brewed from beans roasted in Pleasantville by Smokey Row. A light menu of soups, sandwiches paninis, wraps, salads, desserts and pastries will be available. Patrons will be able to perch on stools at an old-fashioned soda fountain and order phosphates, floats and other fountain treats. And, for those in a hurry, there will be a drive-up window.
Krista and Monte Bennett, who are behind this venture, also established Smokey Row Coffee Houses in Pella, Oskaloosa and Pleasantville, which is their corporate location
Since the Bennetts bought the building, Krista said they also purchased parcels around it in order to add more parking space and to put in the drive-up window on the west side.
Plans for the building have been approved by Des Moines Historic Preservation Commission and still must go through Plan and Zoning and city approval, but once that's done the Bennett expect to move quickly to get it open, by November or even sooner.
To see more about Smokey Row Coffee Houses, check here.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/p ... gister.com

[Philby]

I heard about this last night! Hopefully they've got everything worked out and will be successful enough to attract attention from other developers who want to do something in that area.

I hope their sandwiches are good cause I see many of them in my future!

[RenovateDSM]

The Kingsway Cathedral was selected as a finalist in the Des Moines Rehabbers Club's "2008 Seven Most Endangered Buildings" list (http://renovatedsm.com/node/316). We will be nominating it, along with a couple others up to the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance's statewide list. I am in the process of writing up the nominations, and would appreciate any information or photos anyone has on the history of the building (prior to 1990).

You can contact me at swilkeshapiro@gmail.com

Now that the Smokey Row project appears to be actually under construction, redevelopment of this corner becomes much more critical to sustain the momentum.

Thanks,
Steve

[Young DSM Social Club]

Great choice. I hope this helps the efforts to save the building.

[DMRyan]

The Register is running a series of articles on the most endangered buildings in Des Moines, per the DSM Rehabber's Club's recent suggestions.

Here's a pretty informative scoop on the status of the Kingsway, including the neighborhood's stop-gap efforts to shore up the building from further deterioration until/if a developer can be found to renovate the building.





From the Register:

D.M. cathedral is blessed with neighbors who care

More than a dozen volunteers spent Saturday deep inside a crumbling historic church cathedral near downtown Des Moines, hauling away tons of wet debris in an attempt to save the massive 107-year-old structure.

And, this week, the Sherman Hill Neighborhood Association hopes to fix the roof of the building that is allowing water to gush down multiple floors, a $5,500 roof patch that will be paid by the group and an emergency state historic preservation grant.

"It's not gone until it's gone," said Sherman Hill resident Lyn Loheed, who raked soggy pieces of ceiling tiles that had fallen to the floor.

"We've saved other buildings where people have said, 'Let's put it out of its misery and be done with it.' You get the right owner and it will turn around," Loheed said.

The building at 901 19th St., better known as Kingsway Cathedral, was constructed by Proudfoot & Bird, a prominent architectural company in the 1900s.

The company was responsible for dozens of Iowa buildings, including the Hotel Fort Des Moines, University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City, Engineering Hall at Iowa State University in Ames, and Lincoln, East and Roosevelt high schools in Des Moines.

The cathedral, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was vacated by the church in 2003 after city inspectors noted multiple structural problems.

The church unsuccessfully launched various legal challenges, including one against the state claiming much of the damage was caused by construction work on nearby Interstate Highway 235. Another was directed at Des Moines, alleging that the city's order that the church be vacated was an act of condemnation.

For much of the past two years, the cathedral was for sale for $4.5 million to $5.2 million, which included making the renovations. The assessed value of the building is around $850,000.

More than a year ago, the church's members tried to get permission from the city to demolish the building, but they encountered resistance from preservationists and city staff who have derailed plans for its demise through a series of legal maneuvers.

Most recently, the church has agreed to sell the cathedral and an adjacent duplex to Steve Smith of HES Inc. Smith is working with the neighborhood in an attempt to save the property.

The terms of the cathedral sale were not available Saturday on the Web site of the Polk County assessor.

On Saturday, a group of volunteers organized by the Sherman Hill Neighborhood Association took the first steps to "mothball" the building in an attempt to suspend further deterioration.

"Places like this will someday rival castles in Europe because they're a thing of the past," said Donna Hallstrom, president of the Sherman Hill Neighborhood Association.

While significant damage has taken place in the sanctuary, most of the cathedral is still salvageable, preservationists said.

The building's massive stained-glass windows - protected from vandalism by Plexiglas - are still in good condition, as are much of the structure's oak woodwork and ornate doors.

Councilwoman Christine Hensley, who represents Sherman Hill, said city leaders want to see the building saved. The national economic downturn could make it more challenging to quickly develop the site, but she said the city is willing to consider tax breaks and other incentives.

"I want to do what's reasonable to save it because it is an integral part of the neighborhood and is also historically significant to our city," Hensley said.

[Better Life dude]

Developers who underestimate the will and determination of the Sherman Hill Neighborhood Association do so at their own peril. The work the SHNA has done - and is doing on an ongoing basis will save and eventually restore Kingsway. Yesterday's cleanup and the repair of the roof of the cathedral are being done on the association's dime and with volunteer labor. The current owner of the building would just as soon see the building deteriorate until the only option left is demolition. That's why he has let the hole in the roof unrepaired for so long.

[wmjindsm]

The buliding has been bought by KLM International. A religious organization.

https://www.klminternational.net/

More from the Register...

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/articl ... S/90626021

[DMRyan]

It couldn't be better! If this works out, the article mentions they even want to add the original steeples that have long been removed.

[Better Life dude]

Time to change the title of this thread.
Driving by Kingsway this afternoon, it looks a lot nicer just since yesterday with the removal of the fencing and mowing the weeds.
The neighborhood preservationists win again!

[DMRyan]

This is a perfect example of "what if". What if the city and the historic preservation commission had caved in and let this be demolished and built on with the lowest common denominator, instead of exercising a little patience to see if the building could be saved.

We would be looking at a Kum & Go store right now, instead of the beautiful transformation this building is hopefully set to receive. I couldn't be happier to see this corner get the royal treatment. Now, if only Smokey Row could get another bank loan to finish their apparently stalled construction and the large weedy/grassy area along MLK could be turned into a signature entrance into the city from the freeway.

[Aulus]

This is a perfect example of "what if". What if the city and the historic preservation commission had caved in and let this be demolished and built on with the lowest common denominator, instead of exercising a little patience to see if the building could be saved.

We would be looking at a Kum & Go store right now, instead of the beautiful transformation this building is hopefully set to receive.

Yes, it is nice, if the grand plans really do come to pass. I will hold off on celebrating it until I see it actually work. I do look forward to driving to work tomorrow past there and seeing the fence and weeds down, though.

[Ingersoll1978]

Time to change the title of this thread.

Done.

[Aulus]

Well, I did drive by there this morning and it is a big improvement to se the fencing down and the weeds mowed/cleared.

I also noted, and at 7:40 AM, no less, a pick up truck full of tools and at least two guys setting up to do some sort of work on the place.

[Aulus]

BTW, on my way home from work today, at about 5PM, the guys were still there, apparently working on the inside, as I saw at least one door open and traffic in and out.