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Des Moines council approves sale of awkward downtown parcel to Hyper Energy Bar despite resident objections
Summary
The City Council voted unanimously to convey a small, constrained parcel on 111th Street to Hyper Energy Bar LLC for $554,000 after residents criticized the proposed car-centric design and council members debated trade-offs between immediate revenue and long-term downtown vision.
The Des Moines City Council voted to convey a parcel on 111th Street to Hyper Energy Bar LLC for $554,000 after hearing public concerns about the proposal’s car-focused design.
During a public hearing on Council Communication 25-427, Carol Maher, who identified herself as a Downtown Des Moines resident in Ward 3, urged the council to reject a plan she called “car centric,” saying it would prioritize vehicles over “vulnerable road users” and harm downtown walkability. “Please don’t do that. Please vote no,” Maher said.
Elliot Klomowski, another resident, reiterated that question: “What are cities for? They're places to make people's lives better,” and urged the council to favor a more human-centered site design.
Councilmembers acknowledged those concerns but described constraints tied to the parcel’s size, overhead utilities and a required detention basin. One councilmember said the lot is “awkward sized” and likely not well suited for denser development now, and argued that allowing a business to occupy the site would generate revenue that the city could use to encourage future redevelopment on better-suited parcels.
Speaker 6 moved the conveyance and Speaker 7 seconded; the motion passed by roll call with a recorded tally of 7 yes and the motion carried.
The council’s approval completes the sale process for the parcel; proponents said it provides immediate economic value while opponents said it risks reinforcing car-oriented development patterns downtown. The council did not adopt any design conditions on the conveyance during the vote.
