🏗️ Downtown Demolition Begins on Two Buildings Near Western Gateway Demolition started this week on two structures — at 1511 Grand Ave. and 515 16th St. (a former Sherwin-Williams store) — as an early phase of Krause Group's long-anticipated redevelopment of the historic Jefferson and Butler buildings on Grand Avenue. The demolition clears parking for the larger project, which will convert both 19th-century buildings into mixed-income housing while preserving their historic facades. Construction is targeted to begin in summer 2027.

Why it matters: These buildings spent years on the Heritage Trust's endangered list. Seeing demolition equipment on site — as a precursor to preservation, not destruction — means this project is finally, actually happening.

🏘️ Invest DSM Hits 2,000 Completed Projects Invest DSM, the nonprofit partnership between the city and Polk County focused on neighborhood revitalization, announced it has now completed more than 2,000 projects since its founding in 2019. The work spans homeowner improvement grants, rental rehabilitation, commercial revitalization, and new housing development across the city's Special Investment Districts.

Why it matters: 2,000 projects in seven years is a real number that represents real homes, real blocks, and real families choosing to stay in Des Moines neighborhoods rather than leave them. This milestone deserves more attention than it's getting.

☕ Vietnamese Coffee Culture Is Coming to Des Moines Axios Des Moines is reporting on a new Vietnamese coffee concept preparing to open in the metro — part of a broader wave of internationally-influenced food and beverage businesses finding their footing in Central Iowa. Details on the exact location and timeline are still emerging, but it adds to a summer of notable new openings.

Why it matters: Every time a new culturally-rooted food business opens in Des Moines, the city's dining scene gets a little more interesting and a little more representative of the people who actually live here.

🏢 Atlas Building in West Des Moines Hits 60% Leased The massive Atlas Building in West Des Moines — the 416,000-square-foot former Wells Fargo office acquired by WB Realty for $16.5 million in 2023 — has crossed 60% leased, with the owner expressing optimism the remaining space will be filled by year end. The building's repositioning has been one of the more closely watched commercial real estate stories in the metro.

Why it matters: A building this size sitting full is a significant signal about office demand in the western suburbs, particularly as companies navigate post-pandemic workspace decisions.

🎭 Walnut Street Near the Civic Center Is Getting a Makeover Des Moines Performing Arts confirmed that construction activity on Walnut Street between Second and Third Avenues is part of an active safety and streetscape project — new sidewalks, updated signage, and fresh landscaping are all underway. Expect some disruption near the Civic Center over the next several weeks.

Why it matters: The area around the Civic Center and downtown performing arts venues is one of the city's most-visited corridors. Improving the pedestrian experience there matters for both residents and visitors.

🌱 Des Moines Airport Expansion Hits Mid-Construction Milestone The $445 million Des Moines International Airport expansion — one of the largest public infrastructure projects in the city's recent history — is now visibly taking shape, with structural work underway on the new terminal additions. The expansion is designed to handle the metro's growing travel demand.

Why it matters: A bigger, better airport is infrastructure that quietly makes every other thing Des Moines is trying to do easier — attracting companies, visitors, and residents who need to know they can get in and out easily.

🏅 West Des Moines Leadership Academy Announces 2026–2027 Class The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce announced its newest Leadership Academy cohort — nearly 40 professionals from across local organizations and industries who will spend nine months on experiential leadership development and a community impact project.

Why it matters: Leadership pipelines like this one are how cities develop the next generation of business owners, nonprofit directors, and civic volunteers. The people in this class are worth knowing.

To apply : Visit the WDM Chamber’s website or reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

💙 Bottom line: Demolition hammers, milestone announcements, new coffee culture, and a streetscape upgrade — Des Moines this week is a city in motion. In the best possible way.

🎨 Let Summer Boredom Work for You: Research consistently shows that unstructured time — real boredom with no screen fill — triggers creativity and independent thinking. Resist the urge to schedule every hour. A bored kid is often a kid about to invent something.

📚 The Audiobook Swap: For reluctant readers, audiobooks count. Listening to a well-narrated book builds vocabulary, comprehension, and story sense just as effectively as reading the page. The library's app has thousands for free.

🧮 Games Are Math: Cribbage, Yahtzee, Rummy, even certain video games involve real arithmetic, probability, and strategic thinking. An hour of card games with the family is a legitimate math lesson with zero friction.

🖊️ Keep a Summer Journal — No Rules: Not a diary, not an assignment. Just a notebook where they can write, draw, doodle, paste things, or complain about the heat. The habit of putting something on paper every day is worth more than what ends up there.

🌟 Praise the Process, Not the Score: When your child does something hard — solves a tricky problem, writes a paragraph, figures out a recipe — focus your praise on the effort and the thinking, not just whether they got it right. Growth mindset research is clear on this: how you praise shapes how kids handle difficulty later.

Need more than homework help? Camp Homework is here to support confidence, focus, and stronger learning habits every step of the way.

🎸 Tyler Childers: Snipe Hunt Tour
📍 Casey's Center, 730 3rd St., Des Moines
🗓️ Wednesday, July 15 · Doors 7 PM · Show 7:30 PM

Fresh off a stadium show at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Sunday, Tyler Childers brings the Snipe Hunt Tour to Casey's Center Wednesday night — with acclaimed indie rock band Wednesday opening the show.

Tyler Childers is one of the most compelling live performers in country and roots music right now. His sets typically run around two hours, blending new material from his album Snipe Hunter with deep catalog favorites, and often feature extended jams that reward fans who know every word.

This is a major arena show with an artist who somehow still makes every night feel personal.

Tickets are available on the secondary market, with upper bowl seats offering the best value if floor and lower bowl tickets are sold out.

We want to hear from you! Des Moines Digest exists to help locals find the best things to do, see, and explore across the metro — but we can only make it better with your input. Tell us what sections you love, what you skip, and what you wish we covered more. Whether it's a hidden gem, an event type, or just a quick "keep doing this" — we're all ears. Your feedback shapes every issue, so hit reply or click below and let us know. This digest is for you, Des Moines! 💬
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Thanks for starting the week with us, Des Moines. See you Thursday! 🌱

— Alex | Des Moines Digest 📘
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