Renovations underway for a Des Moines sobering center as Polk County chips in for startup costs
Renovations are underway for a new sobering center that will be housed in a now-vacant building on Des Moines' northwest side.
Polk County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday agreed to pay $246,000 in start-up costs for the center located at 1914 Carpenter Ave., which will serve as a "safe place" for people seeking support and treatment for alcoholism and other types of services.
The board will also share the more than $1 million in annual operating costs with the city of Des Moines, though it's unclear how the governments will split the bill yet, according to deputy county administrator Sarah Boese.
With plans to open in the summer or fall of 2024, the roughly 15,0000-square-foot space is set to be converted into a "one-stop-shop" resource center, that will include a walk-in mental health clinic and crisis observation center, Polk County leaders previously told the Des Moines Register.
It will be staffed by the nonprofit St. Vincent de Paul of Des Moines and Broadlawns Medical Center, with St. Vincent serving as the administrative manager, according to a county memorandum.
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Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly said she and other board supervisors were inspired to bring a sobering center, or "access center," to Polk County after visiting one in San Antonio years ago. They became even more motivated after seeing one open up closer to home in Iowa City in 2021.
During a board meeting Tuesday, supervisor Tom Hockensmith called the renovation effort, which is being completed by county employees, a "really professional job."
Also at the meeting, supervisors approved renewing a contract with the city of Des Moines and Operation Downtown to keep about six city police on patrol on weekends in the downtown core and approved a final plat for a 16 single-home development in north Polk County.
Des Moines police to continue providing security on Court Avenue
The agreement to staff police officers, particularly on weekends, comes amid recent instances of violence in the Historic Court Avenue district leading community members to wonder what can be done to keep the entertainment district safe. A recent study conducted by a third-party consultant reported the district had "entered a state of decline."
The consultant's nearly 30-page report released in May recommended a multi-pronged approach, including adding a night manager and new features such as a ride-share hub to improve the experience and make it safer for patrons.
The agreement is a continuation of a plan that began in 2016 to enhance security on Court Avenue through increased police presence, improved lighting and a camera system, with the goal of having the city eventually maintain its own permanent downtown police force, according to the county's resolution.
In the meantime, the county will pay $50,000 in fiscal year 2023 as part of the agreement, the resolution states.
Sgt. Paul Parizek told the Register the number of downtown officers on patrol and days of duty varies depending on factors such as the season, expected crowd size and whether there's a special event. There are usually about six officers staffed on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as during the Downtown Farmers' Market. The shift toward a permanent team is moving forward with discussions being held about staffing and budget, Parizek said.
Boese said the county hopes the city will be able to incorporate a downtown unit by the next budget cycle, but understands there are issues such as officer recruitment that "make a clear-cut timeline a little difficult to nail down." For now, the county anticipates chipping in to support the Court Ave security measures "at some level for the foreseeable future," she said.
"Des Moines PD has been making significant strides on what's happening downtown," supervisor Angela Connelly said during the Tuesday meeting, pointing to multiple police shifts that do foot patrol. "Just having their presence ... is making a significant difference."
16 single-family home development coming to north Polk County
Land in north Polk County, between Johnston and Ankeny, has been set aside with space for 16 single-family home lots.
Board supervisors approved the final plat, or land tract, for the 26-acre Ironwood Heights development in the Crocker Township, according to the county's resolution. Plans for the subdivision, zoned as a rural residential district, are just west of Northwest 37th Street and just north of Northwest 75th Place and southeast of the Saylorville Reservoir.
The majority of the lots range between one to two acres in size.
Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines sobering center underway; police for downtown continued
