Central Iowa Scouts sell $7M headquarters
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The Mid-Iowa Council of Scouting America's Maytag Scout Center in Des Moines. Photo: Courtesy of the Polk County Assessor
The Mid-Iowa Council of Scouting America — formerly the Boy Scouts of America — has sold its Maytag Scout Center in Des Moines and plans to relocate to a leased space in Windsor Heights, according to a council email obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: The sale reflects the downsizing of Central Iowa's Scouting council after years of national membership decline and turmoil over inclusion policies and sexual abuse lawsuits.
Catch up quick: The center, at 6123 Scout Trail, was built in 2012 as a 24,000-square-foot headquarters, training center and scout shop on a 16-acre DSM site.
- At the time, the Scouts served "substantially larger membership levels" and had a different staffing and operational structure, Mid-Iowa Council CEO Matt Hill said in Wednesday's email.
Stunning stat: The Polk County Assessor assessed the property at nearly $9 million.
- It was sold to Bell Avenue Properties, a real estate development entity affiliated with the Waldinger Corp., for $7 million in a transaction recorded last week.
Friction point: Scouting America has undergone major policy and legal upheaval over the past decade.
- Its members voted to stop denying youth membership on the basis of sexual orientation in 2013, before the group lifted a blanket ban on gay adult leaders in 2015, and announced in 2017 that girls would be accepted into Cub Scouts and later into Scouts BSA.
- The Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020 amid sexual abuse lawsuits; its $2.46 billion settlement took effect in 2023.
By the numbers: The Mid-Iowa Council's latest IRS filing shows revenue down 57% from 10 years before, falling from $4.9 million in fiscal year 2014 to $2.1 million in 2024.
- Scouting America reported just over 1 million youth participants at the end of 2024, down from about 2.4 million youth members and Explorers a decade earlier.
State of play: Mid-Iowa will relocate its administrative offices, Scout Shop, and warehouse to a leased facility at 7900 Hickman Road in Windsor Heights, with occupancy expected by fall, per Hill's email.
- The current headquarters of Waldinger, a mechanical, electrical, plumbing and sheet-metal contractor, is adjacent to Mid-Iowa property.
What we're watching: How Waldinger's expansion plans for its training center and office space take shape.