Des Moines, Polk County, DSM Partnership bring in outside group to assess nightlife

Amid new investments downtown and increased development, the Historic Court Avenue District has evolved over the last decade.

To further promote this development, and ensure the Des Moines nightlife scene remains safe and accessible, the city of Des Moines, Polk County and the Greater Des Moines Partnership have teamed up to hire an outside consulting group.

The Responsible Hospitality Institute is a California-based non-profit that has worked to improve entertainment districts across the country, including in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Lincoln, Nebraska. Its work focuses on assessing nightlife districts from a variety of angles, including safety, quality, foundation and vibrancy.

Ward 3 City Councilor Josh Mandelbaum said the $80,000 contract with RHI will be split between the city, the county, and DSM Partnership.

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RHI's work in Des Moines is already underway. Jessica Dunker, the president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association, said RHI representatives have already made site visits to Des Moines, which included evaluating the Court Avenue district during a typical night out.

RHI's evaluation is expected to last six to 12 months, according to the program's Des Moines-specific website.

Mandelbaum said he hopes bringing in the outside group will help the city and its partners engage with a wide variety of stakeholders — including public safety officials, the venue operators and residents — to work together to find the best practices to uphold the quality of the Entertainment District while also keeping it safe.

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"I expect that the work they will do will come up with a number of different recommendations for steps that we can take that have worked elsewhere, that will help our community," he said.

Next month, RHI will continue its work by inviting targeted stakeholders to a series of workshops, according to city government spokesperson Al Setka. The workshops are a part of the second phase of their four-phased evaluation approach.

Francesca Block is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at FBlock@registermedia.com or on Twitter at @francescablock3.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines, Polk County to assess quality, safety of nightlife