Keaton PetersThe City of Urbandale, Iowa, is looking to become more of a destination by revitalizing its downtown. The city has released an ambitious Downtown Master Plan that outlines a $41 million investment strategy to update and redesign its historic downtown corridor along Douglas Avenue.
The plan marks a major shift in the city’s development approach, focusing inward on redevelopment after decades of westward expansion. The blueprint intends to convert the current four-lane arterial into a pedestrian-friendly three-lane road while creating new mixed-use areas, stormwater infrastructure and public gathering spaces.
This initiative is being heralded as Urbandale’s first significant redevelopment effort in its history, with city officials deliberately turning inward to reinvest in underutilized areas within the community. The downtown area at 70th Street and Douglas Avenue once served as the community’s center before World War II, housing the City Hall, a school, the town’s streetcar station and various businesses. However, rapid westward growth after the war diminished downtown’s importance, particularly after the streetcar ceased operations in 1951 and City Hall relocated west to Walker Johnston Park.
The master plan outlines several key strategies that will guide the downtown’s transformation over the next several decades. Central to the effort is reconfiguring Douglas Avenue as a three-lane road with on-street parking and enhanced pedestrian amenities. The plan also calls for concentrating new redevelopment at strategic mixed-use nodes while establishing a distinct character and identity for the area. Additional components include creating a downtown district parking management plan, pursuing innovative stormwater solutions, facilitating “gentle density” housing on single-family parcels off Douglas Avenue, encouraging bicycle use and implementing a phased approach to redevelopment.
Preliminary estimates indicate the public infrastructure investments could cost approximately $32.5 million, though this would be spread over many years and subject to whatever final plans look like. The remaining $8.5 million would come from private investment that the city hopes to stimulate through its infrastructure commitments. Officials expect to see visible changes downtown within the next year or two but acknowledge that full redevelopment could take 20 to 30 years.
There are two planned mixed-use developments: “The Big Node” between 70th and 71st Streets north of Douglas Avenue and “The Little Node” at the intersection of 67th Street and Douglas Avenue. These areas would feature mixed commercial and residential buildings, pedestrian plazas, green infrastructure and shared streets designed to create vibrant gathering spaces.
For better stormwater management, the plan designates four sub-watershed districts where new public spaces will handle stormwater needs for redevelopment. This multi-functional approach creates amenities while addressing infrastructure challenges that have traditionally burdened private development.
The city plans to implement the changes in phases, beginning with investments west of 70th Street to support early redevelopment efforts in “The Big Node.” Initial steps may include re-striping Douglas Avenue as a three-lane road with on-street parking, temporary curb extensions, enhanced crosswalks and placemaking initiatives before full reconstruction. City officials have indicated they want to see projects from the plan included in this fall’s upcoming capital improvements project list.
The plan has raised some concerns among existing business owners in the area. Some worry about potential building demolition, construction disruption affecting customer traffic and the possibility of significantly increased rents in redeveloped properties.
The plan is currently in draft form and will undergo public review before final adoption. It may be considered for final approval at the June 17 City Council meeting.
Photo Courtesy City of Urbandale
