Empty lots in downtown Des Moines are going to remain vacant for the time being after city officials reported Water District 54 essentially backed out of plans to upgrade the water system downtown.

Des Moines Planning and Building Director Grant Fredericks said any construction built downtown today would have to be a steel or concrete building. Alternatively, property owners would need to upgrade their water system to meet the current fire code.

If a developer did decide to pay to upgrade the system, future developments would have to pay a latecomers fee to the original developer. However, Mayor Bob Sheckler said the upgrade costs are astronomical. So much so it is not reasonable to wait or expect a developer to come in and upgrade the system.

The water district and the city held a joint meeting last month, discussing an almost $2 million project to put a 12-inch water main underneath Des Moines Memorial Drive from South 216 Street to South 227 Street. The project would also tie in water lines at each of the intersections along Marine View Drive into the water main.

Currently, the water main serving downtown Des Moines is a six inch pipe running along 8th Avenue South. There are water lines running east and west at 220th, 222nd, 225th and 226th, However, they dead end on either side of Marine View Drive.

Des Moines received a $468,000 federal grant to upgrade the water system. This grant requires a local match of $398,000.

At the meeting, it appeared the city and district had agreed the district would meet the local match and the city would solicit bonds of approximately $1 million so the entire project could be completed at one time. An amount was not agreed upon, but it was understood the water district would help pay some of the bond back, but not be responsible for all of it.

On May 4, the district sent the city a letter saying they would agree to pay only for the construction and management costs of the connections. District officials said Des Moines would be responsible for all of the costs associated with Marine View Drive.

The district said they would provide matching funds with in-kind work, which would be the east to west connections to the Marine View Drive water main.
Mayor Sheckler said he was very surprised by the water district's response. He said he felt the city handed them the project on a silver platter and he has no idea why they would reject it.

"We thought we had it put to bed," Sheckler said. "(It) put our entire planning for downtown on hold."

Council members intimated the city might take over the water district.

"It is logical to assume the next step is they (Water District 54) are going to be taken over," Sheckler said.

Sheckler said if the city did take over the water district over, the city would likely negotiate with Highline Water District to run it. The city is not in the water business, Sheckler added.

Water District 54 was unavailable for comment.