Two of Des Moines' oldest and vacant buildings could get new life

Driving the news: Several developers are interested in redeveloping the buildings at 2024 and 2026 Southeast Sixth St., Christopher Civitate, neighborhood development manager for Invest DSM, tells Axios.

Catch up quick: The buildings have been vacant since a fire nearly three years ago.

• Invest DSM, a group that works to stabilize neighborhoods, purchased the properties in 2024.

Flashback: The properties are part of the original Main Street of Sevastopol, a separate town that was annexed into Des Moines in 1890.

• Past tenants have included grocery stores, restaurants and community gathering spaces.

State of play: Civitate said restaurant operators could eventually occupy part of the commercial space, though no tenants have been finalized yet.

Between the lines: The project is part of the broader redevelopment momentum in Columbus Park, where Invest DSM and other partners have funded building renovations, infill housing, and commercial improvements in recent years.

Reality check: The project still lacks a finalized developer agreement and a financing package.

Yes, but: That could change in the coming months, as historic tax credit applications could be filed as early as this fall, Civitate said.

What we're watching: The subsidies needed to revive the buildings and whether they can help transform the B&B block — home to the grocery's famous Killer sandwiches — into one of the metro's next redevelopment hotspots.