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Board approves on-premise alcohol sales for revived Ingersoll Theatre; plan calls for theater programming and dining
Summary
The zoning board approved sales of alcoholic liquor, wine and beer at the historic Ingersoll Theatre at 3711 Ingersoll Avenue as part of a planned rehabilitation and re-opening as a 200‑seat dining and performance venue; staff conditions and site-plan review will govern parking and occupancy.
The City of Des Moines Zoning Board of Adjustment approved a conditional use allowing the Ingersoll Theatre at 3711 Ingersoll Avenue to sell alcoholic liquor, wine and beer for on-premise consumption as part of a planned restoration and program of dining and live performances.
Senior planner Frank Dun Young said the applicant proposed to use the existing theater building (about 5,200 square feet) for a two-floor performance and dining venue with a stage and separate bars on each level. The applicant estimated seating capacity at approximately 220 and proposed operating hours generally between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m.
Applicant Connor Delaney described preservation and restoration plans, including reactivating the marquee and adding a modern kitchen (approximately 800 square feet) in a former kitchen annex. Delaney said the ownership group worked with an operator experienced in dinner‑theater operations and noted the plan aims to replicate a seated dinner-plus-show model where patrons purchase a ticket and may also purchase food and beverages.
Frank Dun Young said the applicant plans to lease 27 parking stalls from a neighboring property and that parking compliance would be addressed through the site‑plan review process. Board members and staff noted that parking rules (for example, the city standard of one parking stall per six seats for assembly uses) and fire and building code determinations will be resolved during site-plan and code review and could affect final occupancy.
With no substantive neighborhood opposition reported and staff recommending approval with several standard conditions for event centers that serve alcohol, the board voted to grant the conditional use allowing on‑premise alcohol sales. The board emphasized subsequent reviews — site‑plan, building and fire code — must be completed before full operations.
The applicant was advised to proceed with site‑plan and code reviews and to coordinate parking arrangements during that process. The board’s written decision will be available about a week after the hearing.
