Neighborhood Development Corporation details redevelopment wins, brownfield plan and $20M pipeline in Des Moines

Abby Gilroy, executive director of Neighborhood Development Corporation, told Polk County supervisors that NDC’s work over the past decade has helped stabilize commercial nodes near downtown Des Moines and produced measurable increases in property values and local economic activity. Gilroy said NDC partnered with Invest DSM and city and county officials to rehabilitate storefronts, support new businesses and assemble larger parcels for redevelopment.

Gilroy outlined recent projects including Highland Park — where facade and building improvements helped revive storefronts such as Highland Park Bakery and the Des Moines Mercantile — and longer-term efforts in the Drake neighborhood around Forest and University avenues. She said that for a small cluster of properties NDC acquired, combined pre-project assessments were about $336,000 and that those parcels are now valued near $1,000,000, while surrounding properties have seen valuation increases ranging roughly 19%–49%.

The presentation emphasized partnerships and financing strategy. Gilroy described acting as a guarantor on the Varsity Theater project to help secure bank financing, and said larger projects typically require bringing private investment alongside NDC’s own budget. She said Jackson Crossing and other partnerships let NDC leverage county and city support to scale impact more quickly.

Gilroy also described a three-part operating model — planning, development and stabilization — and said NDC has acquired a 3-acre "cold storage" parcel near Riverview in partnership with Polk County and the city. She said NDC has been awarded brownfield tax credits for that site and plans to apply for a Prairie Meadows grant to fund public space and pedestrian connections, with a private restaurant partner anticipated to begin operations in 2026.

"Every dollar that's being spent is having about a $24 economic impact in that area," Gilroy said, summarizing NDC's internal economic-impact estimates. She told supervisors roughly $20 million in development could come online this year and that NDC plans new property acquisitions after stabilizing its current focus neighborhoods.

Supervisors asked about potential private tenants, streetscape changes and next steps for the cold storage site; Gilroy said some tenant leads were uncertain and that street-design questions (for example on Southwest Ninth) would require follow-up with city staff and council members. She closed by asking supervisors and other officials to continue referring projects to NDC for consideration.

The presentation did not record any formal board action; supervisors did not take a vote during this item. The board moved on to a separate presentation from Neighborhood Finance Corporation after questions.