If you live along SW 9th, soon in your mail you will receive the below mailer. To learn more about the Facade Improvement Program, please visit this link to be redirected to the requirements page and download the application. 
MacRae Park CleanUp 2018
The 6th Annual MacRae Park Clean Up Day was a huge success once again this year!
Over 200 volunteers from the Des Moines area, including groups from Japan, Thailand, and the Philippines came out to clean the park. Several of these groups were on a mission trip to see how people in the United States promote community involvement so they could take ideas back to their respective countries.
Lincoln High School had a large presence once again with representatives from various athletic and activity groups. Local neighbors, business groups, and city council members all pitched in to help remove over 30 tires and 10 dump truck loads of trash.
Thank you to the folks at Cash Saver for providing free food and drinks for all our volunteers once again this year. Also, thank you to the City of Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department for providing us with all the gloves, trash bags, and trucks to carry all the trash away.
We are looking forward o the many new improvements coming this year in the park, including the multi-million dollar overlook project slated to be started this summer. Future improvements also include; dredging the pond and reconstructing the park street.
Thank you everyone for the fun day of beautifying one of our great parks on the south side!
SW 9th Street Revitalization Efforts Enhance Wards 3 & 4
Revitalization efforts along the SW 9th Corridor are underway! On March 23, 2015, the SW 9th Street Corridor Plan was formally adopted by the Des Moines City Council. Created in partnership with the City’s Neighborhood Development Division, the ISU Community Design Lab, and Friends of SW 9th, the revitalization plan sets the stage for phased improvements to enhance the visual appearance of the four-mile corridor stretching from the Raccoon River bridge to Army Post Road. Redevelopment of vacant and run down property, housing improvements, and building organizational capacity are also key strategies of the plan. Significant progress is already visible, thanks to dedicated project partners.
Spearheading the efforts is Friends of SW 9th, a coalition of area residents, businesses, and stakeholders working to coordinate improvements. Friends of SW 9th recently administered a Façade Improvement Program in which fifteen local businesses received financial assistance to spruce up their storefronts with new paint, awnings, landscaping, and signage. The program was made possible with a $150,000 grant from Polk County. Proceeds from the sale of City-owned property on SW 9th will help fund continuation of the façade grant program in 2016.
Demolition of several blighted structures is paving the way for additional commercial and residential redevelopment along SW 9th Street. The Neighborhood Development Corporation is nearing completion of two residential developments south of downtown. Rebuilding Together, Neighborhood Finance Corporation, and Iowa State Bank have also made three-year commitments to help rehabilitate existing owner-occupied housing.
MacRae Park, one of the City’s oldest and most scenic parks, will be enhanced as well. Renovation of the historic park shelter will take place this summer. Planning efforts for more significant improvements are underway, aiming to re-establish the park as a south side destination.
To keep this momentum moving forward, the Friends of SW 9th is reaching out to property owners along SW 9th to establish a Self-Supported Municipal Improvement (SSMID) District. If the SSMID petition is successful, funds will be used towards business development and recruitment, façade grants, landscaping and beautification efforts, administrative services, and neighborhood activities such as the popular SW 9th Open Streets event.
There is much to look forward to on SW 9th! To get involved and stay updated on the latest news along the corridor, please “like” the Friends of SW 9th Facebook page!
Chamber of Commerce Assist with Mural Along SW 9th Street
For Further Information:
Des Moines East and South Chamber of Commerce
Media: Sadie Trytten | sadie@dsmeastsouthchamber.org | 515.829.4188
http://www.dsmeastsouthchamber.org
Chamber of commerce ASSISts with mural along SW 9th St.
Mural is created as a work of art to bring the neighborhood together.
DES MOINES, IA – The Des Moines East and South Chamber of Commerce is proud to assist in staffing the efforts in making a community mural on SW 9th a reality. The mural is located on the side of the Twisted Pizzaria building, between Park and Watrous on SW 9. Made possible by the funding of the Neighborhood Finance Corporation and Neighbor Works America ®, this vibrant mural was created to help enhance this historical corridor on the South side of Des Moines.
“Neighborhood Finance Corporation is excited that through our partnership with NeighborWorks America® we have been able to be a sponsor the mural project and be actively engaged in the improvements on the SW 9th Street Corridor,” said Stephanie Preusch, NFC Executive Director. Stephanie along with others in the community, John Cacciatori, Chris Aldinger, Bill Hansen, Tricia Rivas and Chamber President/CEO Sadie Trytten, attended a conference in Cincinnati in fall of 2014 to decide on a project to complete.
In February of this year Neighborhood Finance Corporation supplied the Friends of SW 9th with the remaining grant money to make this community art possible. The objective of the project was to work with local artist Van Holmgren and create a vibrant and colorful mural on a building along the Southwest 9th Street, a corridor in Des Moines that has been greatly enhanced recently by community partnership and the leadership of the Friends of SW 9th.
“I’m excited for everyone that travels on that road to see the mural. I remember being a little kid and looking with awe at other murals. The mural is less literal with its message to the viewer. It obviously depicts a young girl taking down the bricks from a wall that reveals some plants and flowers in various colors. What you do with that visual information writes your own take on the mural.
I was greeted by close to a hundred people that wanted to let me know that they loved having a mural made on this side of town. You could really see it in their eyes, they’re proud of their home. I hope more murals go up on the Southside and all around town,” says mural artist, Van Homgren
The Friends of SW 9th is a community coalition of 24 organizations dedicated to enhancing the corridor through implementing a strategic plan, community events, and enhanced communication. Their mission is to enhance the corridor’s role as the Southside’s main street that serves as a gateway to community attractions and downtown, while preserving the area as a place of residence, commerce, and community. The Des Moines East and South Chamber and Sadie Trytten have been deeply involved with the SW 9th project from the start and the addition of the mural to this area served as an ideal opportunity to collaborate with community leaders and a passionate artist to further beautify this area.
For more information on the East and South Chamber of Commerce, visit here.
For more information on the Neighborhood Finance Corporation, visit here
For more information on the Friends of SW 9th, checkout their facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/friendsofsw9th/
To view more of Van Homgren’s work, visit here
About Des Moines East and South Chamber of Commerce
The Des Moines East and South Chamber of Commerce is a private, not-for-profit business member organization aimed at fostering economic development and growth of member businesses and the Des Moines community. The Chamber offers a broad spectrum of benefits and services to its members. For more information about the Des Moines East and South Chambers of Commerce, please visit www.dsmeastsouthchamber.org.
