Axios Des Moines

April 28, 2026
Happy Tuesday!
🌧️ Weather: Partly sunny then chance of rain. High of 58.
🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Des Moines member Denise Swartz!
Today's newsletter is 740 words — a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: Oakridge's $15M+ Cynergy project
Oakridge Neighborhood is advancing a $15 million-plus project to bring larger affordable housing units and a wellness-focused commercial hub to a long-vacant site in downtown Des Moines.
Why it matters: The project targets a persistent gap in the supply of three- and four-bedroom affordable units, especially for working families who spend a large share of their income on rent, Oakridge CEO Deidre DeJear tells Axios.
Driving the news: The Des Moines City Council last week gave preliminary approval for a $25,000 federal grant that the city will allocate to help Oakridge acquire the 1.1-acre site at 1230 Oakridge Drive.
- While that's a small share of the roughly $966,000 land cost, it's a critical step because it signals city support, DeJear said.
Zoom in: The development, dubbed Cynergy, would turn a former parking lot into a mixed-use building with a ground-floor commercial space and three to four stories of housing above.
- The first-floor occupants would include services related to financial and physical wellness, as well as small businesses focused on building workforce pipelines.
State of play: As of 2024, the U.S. had only 35 affordable units for every 100 extremely low-income renters, with Iowa (39) near the national rate, according to a report published last year by the National Low-Income Housing Coalition.
- That represents a shortage of 7.1 million affordable homes for extremely low-income renters, including nearly 62,000 in Iowa, according to the coalition.
The intrigue: The property at 1230 Oakridge Drive is owned by MainFrame Studios, a nonprofit that leases about 200 studios to artists in a nearby building.
Inside the room: Polk County is also reviewing options to support the Oakridge project, Supervisors Chairperson Matt McCoy tells Axios.
What's next: Oakridge expects to complete land acquisition in the coming weeks, after which it will launch a fundraising campaign.
- Project organizers aim to break ground as early as 2027 and to complete the project within about a year.
2. Morning routine: The Bake Shoppe owner
Growing up in the newspaper business, The Bake Shoppe co-owner Lisa Kannapel was no stranger to early mornings.
- Kannapel says she's taken on the work ethic of her father, who still owns small-town Iowa papers in places like Armstrong and Ringsted today.
And while she still puts many hours into the bakery, a breast cancer diagnosis last year kept her out of the kitchen — a major endeavor as a "workaholic," she says.
- Now she tries to take more moments to appreciate other parts of her life.
- "Ever since my cancer diagnosis, we've just kind of decided our personal lives are a little more important than we're giving it credit for," says Kannapel, who runs the bakery with her husband, Chris.
What's next: Lisa is in remission, and the Kannapels are opening a second location this spring in Waukee.
- "You only live once," she says.
Here's how Kannapel starts her day:
⏰ Wake up: 5:15–5:45am.
🍳 Breakfast: Two hard-boiled eggs and coffee. Scrambled eggs on the weekends.
📱 What she's reading: Work emails.
💡 Her advice for new bakers: Start at farmers' markets for experience.
3. The Ear: Your news roundup
Vice President JD Vance has delayed his trip to Iowa State this week due to unexpected congressional votes happening. It will be rescheduled for the fall. (KCCI)
👎 Five Iowa dog breeders are on Humane World for Animals' "Horrible Hundred" list. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
🦬 The first three bison calves of the year were born last week at Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge. (WHO-13)
💵 A former employee of Children and Families of Iowa plead guilty to theft after $400,000 from the nonprofit were misspent. (KCCI)
🫔 Tamale's Industry in Merle Hay Mall is moving to the Downtown Des Moines Farmers' Market. (Des Moines Register)
4. Reader survey: Downtown inspiration
This week's reader question is in the context of Hello, Marjorie's owner opening a new bar called Nothing Major.
What would inspire you to go downtown more often?
- A new restaurant or bar
- Live music/entertainment
- Easier parking options
- More family-friendly events
Flashback: Here's what you told us are the best parks in the metro:
- Raccoon River Park: "There is something there for everyone: Dog park, playground, boat rentals, archery, miles of paths and an ever-changing variety of birds." — Jill Harris
- Union Park: "Lots of green space for walking, a carousel for families, good location next to bike trails and the marina." — Jeff Meyer, DSM
- Easter Lake: "It feels like Grays Lake's sister. I love the different picnic areas, the 4-mile-long loop, the views of the water, the North Shore beach [area] and the covered bridge." — Erin Keeffer, DSM
🏘️ Worthy of your time: DSM's free Summit to Fair Housing event.
- Tomorrow, starting at 9am.
This newsletter was edited by Chloe Gonzales.
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