Listen to Lead

As the Des Moines Parks and Recreation team eyed the development of a community recreation center to serve all who call Des Moines’ north side home, they knew there was no better place to start than with the north side neighbors. 

“We canvassed the neighborhoods and filled an auditorium with residents who were able to tell us exactly what they needed,” shared Ben Page, Des Moines Parks and Recreation director. “We learned they needed a space not just for athletic recreation and activities, but a space for the community to connect, to come together, to learn.”

From the voices of those who will use the facility, plans for an innovative and inclusive north side community recreation center were born. The newly named Reichardt Community Recreation Center is one of four projects in Des Moines’ north side and 6th Avenue Corridor neighborhoods to receive Community Foundation Leadership Grant support last year. 

“By investing in projects like these, we are activating the Community Foundation’s mantra of better together,” shared Angie Dethlefs-Trettin, chief community impact officer at the Community Foundation. “We are listening, learning and investing in our neighbors to bring about collective community transformation.”

A few blocks east of the future Reichardt Community Recreation Center site lies the 6th Avenue Corridor, a neighborhood rich in art, culture, flavors and history. It’s also home to the 6th Avenue Flats: a first-of-its-kind initiative in Central Iowa that received Leadership Grant support to embed mental health services into an affordable housing setting. 

Up the street, the 12,000 square foot Center @ Sixth facility is being developed to serve small business owners through a Black and Brown main street business incubator supported by the Community Foundation. A Leadership Grant also supported Des Moines Area Transit (DART) in piloting a new on-demand service in the neighborhood, allowing riders to book trips in advance.

“These projects were all brought to life through the voices of visionary neighbors who call the north side home,” said Angie. “The Community Foundation is honored to come alongside community members who are transforming their neighborhoods into the spaces they need, want and deserve.”