Plans to transform Birdland Park and Marina in north Des Moines into a resort-style recreation area just received $5.3 million in funding.
The city announced that the project – which includes a new boathouse, kayak rentals, playgrounds, a year-round ice skating rink, a splash pad and a river overlook – is receiving grants from the U.S. Department of the Interior, part of a $46.7 million pot that will be split among 10 community-led park projects from California to New Jersey.
“The Birdland Park and Marina Master Plan is an iconic and groundbreaking project in our parks system and we are thrilled to have the federal government’s support,” Mayor Connie Boesen said in a press release.
Although the entire project will cost $54 million, it will be completed in five phases. The first round of improvements includes a new boat ramp, trail improvements, the skating rink and a playground. The cost is estimated at $10 million.
Further improvements in Phase 1 include:
- A connection from the Neal Smith Trail to the Second Avenue Bridge.
- New parking for cars, trucks and trailers.
- A road safety garden to teach children how to navigate urban environments such as zebra crossings.
- Reduction in parking near the Ding Darling Shelter on Saylor Road. Parking will instead be distributed throughout Birdland Park.
- Seating walls everywhere.
- A deck above the lagoon at the back of the Ding Darling Shelter.
- The Americans with Disabilities Act requires accessibility throughout the park, including the playground and patio.
Later plans call for dredging the park’s lagoon, restoring wetlands, adding three fishing piers, and relocating and expanding Captain Roy’s Tavern next to the marina on the banks of the Des Moines River.
Where does the rest of the money come from?
To obtain the remaining funds needed for Phase 1, the city is applying to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for a $5.3 million grant from the National Park Service’s Land and Water Conservation Fund Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Grants Program. Birdland Park is expected to know whether it has received the grant in early 2025.
If Des Moines receives the funding, construction on the first improvements could begin as early as spring 2025.
Addison Lathers covers growth and development in the Des Moines metropolitan area. Reach her at 608-931-1761 or [email protected] and follow her on X at @addisonlathers.
