QuickTrip out, townhomes planned for Des Moines site

The Des Moines City Council will consider a proposal in July to build 38 townhouses on the former site of an auto glass company at 1200 Keosauqua Way.

Why it matters: The site is along a busy entryway into downtown that has been vacant for years.

• A number of other developments in the area are also reshaping the gateway.

Catch up fast: QuickTrip announced plans in 2016 to construct a new store at the location.

• But there were concerns about traffic and questions about whether a third convenience store was needed in the same quarter-mile stretch along Keo.
• QuickTrip won an appeal before the city council but ultimately abandoned the plan.

Driving the news: This month, QuickTrip sold the property for $1.3 million to 1200 Keo Way, an LLC managed by Beal Derkenne Construction in DSM.

Details: The townhomes would be located throughout six different buildings on the nearly 1.6-acre site, which fronts Keo Way and is adjacent to Iowa Methodist Medical Center's northeast entrance.

• Each unit will have a two-car garage in a concept like the nearby Cityview 34 brownstone development, Mike Duncan, one of the project owners, told the Plan and Zoning Commission last week.

What's next: The city council will consider a request to rezone the property to allow for townhomes on July 18.

• There was no opposition to the request by zoning commission members earlier in June.