🔵 It's Friday — and the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Never forget.

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny, with a high of 85 and a low of 67.

🪾 Situational awareness: DSM will offer free curbside pickup of this week's storm-damaged tree and yard debris that's on the curb by 7am Monday.

🎂 Happy birthday to our member Jennifer Morgan.

Today's newsletter is 951 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Iowa has largely excluded single-family homes from a historic preservation tax credit program that helped homeowners shoulder the cost of restoring some of the state's oldest houses.

Why it matters: Preservationists warn that the change removes a financial incentive to save historic homes, which can be far more expensive to restore than to tear down.

Driving the news: A provision of a bill signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds last year made most single-family homes ineligible for Iowa's Historic Preservation Tax Credit.

• The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) put implementing rules into effect about two months ago.

Zoom in: For homeowners, the program offered credits worth up to 25% of qualified rehabilitation costs, potentially saving tens of thousands of dollars on a restoration.

• Project applications submitted before July 1, 2025, were grandfathered, but new single-family applications have been barred since that date.

By the numbers: Demand already exceeds the program's $45 million annual cap.

• IEDA received $80 million in requests in FY2024 and $64.7 million in FY2025.

State of play: The credit has long been used in DSM's historic Sherman Hill and River Bend neighborhoods.

• River Bend resident Jon Royal, who lived in a home built by his great-grandparents, told lawmakers in 2018 that the neighborhood's restorations would not have been possible without the credits.

The big picture: Among Iowa's neighboring states, Missouri and Wisconsin offer historic rehabilitation income-tax credits to homeowners, while South Dakota offers an eight-year tax assessment moratorium for historic homes.

• Minnesota, Nebraska and Illinois exclude owner-occupied homes from their state income-tax credit programs.

What they're saying: Steve Wilke-Shapiro, co-president of Preservation Iowa, tells Axios he doesn't expect the change to reverse the revival of areas such as Sherman Hill, but it will "reduce potential" for future restoration.

• He predicts fewer rehabilitations and, over time, more historic houses lost to demolition.

The other side: IEDA director Debi Durham argued in 2020 for ending credits for owner-occupied homes, saying only a few owner-occupied projects had recently received about $1 million in total.

• She said taxpayers shouldn't be paying people who can afford their own remodeling work.

What we're watching: Whether Preservation Iowa and other advocates can persuade lawmakers to restore the credit for single-family homes.

• Wilke-Shapiro says it's among Preservation Iowa's legislative priorities.

Heart of America Group (HOA) is advancing a plan announced in June for a $24 million, five-story office building across from the former Des Moines City Hall.

Why it matters: The new headquarters for the hospitality and real estate company would add hundreds of jobs and reshape a prominent but longtime vacant site in the East Village.

Driving the news: Under a preliminary proposal that goes before the City Council Monday evening, the HOA would pay $1 million for the city-owned site at 401 Robert D. Ray Drive and receive up to $3.95 million in municipal incentives.

Zoom in: The 75,000-square-foot project, which would house the HOA's headquarters, is expected to support 160 to 300 jobs and include a privately owned park and pedestrian space open to the public.

What's next: If approved, Monday's agreement would initiate a 30-day competitive process, with a public hearing on Nov. 2 and construction targeted for spring 2027.

Friday

🦸 GalaxyCon Des Moines | Meet celebrities, artists, voice actors and cosplayers | Iowa Events Center | Friday 2pm–1am; Saturday 10am–1am; Sunday 10am–8pm | Single-day tickets start at $55

🏆 Des Moines Chamber Bags Tournament | Toss some bags, grab food from local food trucks and hang out at the Des Moines Biergarten in Water Works Park. | Registration at 4pm; tournament starts at 5pm | Free!

🎤 Rewired Live with Vanessa McNeal | Watch audience members bring real-life questions to the mic and receive unscripted coaching | Temple Theater | 7pm | Tickets start at $31

🎭 "Come From Away" | Catch opening night a 9/11-era musical about a town that welcomed thousands of stranded airline passengers | Des Moines Playhouse| Runs through Oct. 4. | 7:30pm | Tickets start at $29

Saturday

🛍️ September Flea Market | Iowa State Fairgrounds' Varied Industries Building. | Saturday 9am–4pm; Sunday 9am–3pm | Free admission and parking.

⚾ Iowa Cubs vs. Toledo Mud Hens | Catch one of the final games of the season | Principal Park | 3:08pm | Tickets start at $12.

Sunday

🎸 PorchFest DSM | Wander through the Union Park neighborhood as 21 bands turn residents' front porches into stages for a rolling outdoor music festival. | 11:30am–5pm | Free!

🇺🇸 America 250 celebration with the 34th Army Band | Family activities, historic flags, food trucks and military vehicles, followed by a concert | Hoyt Sherman Place Activities begin at 1pm; concert at 3pm | Free!

🎶 Autumn at the Amphitheater | Bring a blanket or picnic and hear The Juan & Only | Jamie Hurd Amphitheater | 5–7pm | Free!

Pho is Pho 515's namesake, but don't sleep on the restaurant's simple, slurpable wonton soup.

What it is: A soup with pork and shrimp-filled wontons and baby bok choy ($8).

What I liked: The soft wontons are delectable, and the little crispy bits of pork and onion add little bursts of flavor.

If you go: 10am-2:30pm and 3-7pm every day, except Thursday.

• 801 University Ave, Des Moines

🕎 Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown tonight.

• Shanah Tovah to those celebrating the Jewish New Year.

This newsletter was edited by Delano Massey.