Axios Des Moines
June 18, 2026
1 big thing: DART's new campus
DART has completed the first phase of a new campus.
Why it matters: The project could free the agency's 11-acre downtown site for redevelopment near the future Pro Iowa soccer stadium and Global Plaza.
Driving the news: DART began using the new 76,848-square-foot maintenance garage and parts department at 3500 Vandalia Road this month, completing the first phase about $1 million under its $34.8 million budget.
- The transit agency is now gearing up for the final phase of the project that will likely include bus storage, fueling, a bus wash, a body shop and administrative offices.
Catch up quick: DART's facility at 1100 DART Way was built in the 1970s, is past its useful life and is landlocked in a developing urban neighborhood.
- The site has also experienced repeated flood damage, though Des Moines has since invested millions of dollars in levee improvements intended to reduce flood risks.
- DART estimated that repairing and updating the existing campus would have cost nearly $70 million and would not have qualified for federal funding, which covers the majority of the new campus.
Zoom in: The new campus was projected to cost about $110 million, although DART officials say that estimate will be reduced due to project downsizing.
Between the lines: Building a new downtown campus was preferred by metro leaders, partly because local governments would have had to foot a larger share of the bill had the current campus been rehabbed.
The intrigue: The second phase is being adjusted because DART's redesigned bus network means the agency will operate fewer buses than initially planned, deputy CEO and chief operating officer Luis Montoya tells Axios.
State of play: DART has not yet released a final cost for the second phase.
- In February, the agency received a $20 million federal grant for the project and expects commissioners to vote this summer on a proposed design and budget.
- It could break ground next year and open in 2029.
Behind the scenes: U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Bondurant) are scheduled to tour the new facility today to highlight the Federal Transit Administration's Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program.
What we're watching: What proposals might emerge as the agency prepares its final move from the downtown campus.
2. School approved for Tiny Village reuse
A vacant 1880s school building has received a city permit to serve as a community hub for Joppa's planned Tiny Village in Des Moines.
Why it matters: Reusing the school could preserve a piece of Des Moines history while supporting people transitioning out of homelessness.
Catch up quick: Joppa, a Des Moines nonprofit serving people experiencing homelessness, is developing a Tiny Village on the former Chesterfield School site at 2501 Maury St.
- The village could include about 55 tiny homes and supportive services for residents transitioning out of homelessness.
- The project is modeled after Austin's Community First Village and could cost up to $10 million.
State of play: The Des Moines Zoning Board of Adjustment unanimously approved a conditional-use permit last month, allowing the 15,000-square-foot former school building to be converted into a community center with a 5,000-square-foot gymnasium addition.
- City documents envision the facility providing village residents with kitchen and dining space, recreation, worship, storage and health care services.
Flashback: The former school was most recently used as a community center before the city began considering whether to demolish the aging building.
Reality check: Plans for the building's reuse are not yet finalized.
- Joppa is still evaluating the best way to create safe, functional, code-compliant spaces, CEO and co-founder Joe Stevens tells Axios.
What's next: Joppa aims to break ground on the Tiny Village this year, with the first residents potentially moving in 2027.
⭐️ 1 fun thing to go: The school was the answer to yesterday's "Where's Jason?"
- Axios DSM reader Amanda Lela won tickets to Summer Solstice Sip & Stroll tomorrow, courtesy of the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.
3. 🌽 The Ear: I will follow you into the starch
4. Your weekend plans
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