Action needed to stem decline of Court Avenue entertainment district, Des Moines leaders say

Faced with a Historic Court District that has "entered a state of decline," Des Moines leaders expressed support Monday for a report offering recommendations to turn around the troubled entertainment area, including a "night manager," changes to business licensing and the revival of a Court Avenue association.

The city, in conjunction with Polk County and the Greater Des Moines Partnership, hired the Responsible Hospitality Institute, a California-based consulting group, in January 2022 to evaluate the social atmosphere, safety and management of the Historic Court District.

Its nearly 30-page report, released Friday, recommends a multi-pronged approach, including the night manager and new features such as a ride-share hub to improve the experience and make it safer for patrons. It was compiled with input from nearly 100 residents, business owners and local officials and presented to the City Council at a work session Monday morning.

While the primary focus of the study is the Historic Court District, RHI Vice President Alicia Scholer and Deputy City Manager Matt Anderson said the actions, if implemented, could also benefit the broader "nighttime economy" across the city, including neighborhoods such as the East Village, Ingersoll and the future Market District.

"It seems like these findings and the suggestions are all reasonable," Downtown Neighborhood Association President Brandon Brown said Monday. "It's just going to be, how do we best implement those suggestions? That's what I'm eager to see."

Brown said Court Avenue was once considered "the destination for the metro area," but concerns over safety coupled with the development of new entertainment districts has put the social hub's reputation at risk. People "don't like to come down to Court Avenue after dark," he said.

Anderson said Monday that there could be some "low-hanging fruit" from the report's recommendations that the city can implement quickly and cost-effectively, while other suggestions may be in the mid- and long-term range.

Nightlife manager among suggestions for improving Court Avenue

One of the recommendations that would have the greatest impact would be to hire a night manager, a dedicated staffer who "would serve as a liaison between government and the hospitality industry, as well as connect silos within government departments," Scholer told the City Council Monday.

"There is a void in someone to lead the charge to take all these ideas and take stewardship and ownership to move them forward," she said.

The goal would be to have a person who promotes proactive communication between the nightlife industry and the government to be able to hear each other, Scholer said.

At-large Council Member Connie Boesen said if such a hire is made, "the scope should be the city" and being "proactive."

"How do we go forward so that we have a mechanism in place that people know the rules, the regulations…? So I look at this as a person that coordinates that," Boesen said.

The report also recommended creating a local business license or registry to provide a government touch point for those opening a business. It would also serve as a compliance tool to hold businesses accountable for "at-risk operations," according to the presentation.

Scholer pointed to several approaches the city could take, such as requiring entertainment permits for places with DJs and live music, which San Francisco and Sacramento have done. Other cities have local alcohol licensing in addition to state licensing, she said.

Past safety measures 'expensive and unsustainable,' report concludes

Brown said that Court Avenue's issues with violence have put the social hub's reputation at risk.

"It's just getting a bad reputation, and if we continue to let it get a bad reputation, eventually not many people are going to want to come downtown," he said.

Concerns over safety were front and center in the RHI evaluation of how Court Avenue has changed over the past few decades.

In particular, the report cites Court Center at 216 Court Ave. The bar and restaurant complex “helped jumpstart the revitalization of downtown" during the early 2000s, it says, but as its tenants began to emphasize drinking over other forms of entertainment, the “social landscape” of the district entered “a downward trajectory."

It also noted the closure of some Fourth Street businesses that added vibrancy by focusing on music and other performances. Among them was Vaudeville Mews, which shut down during the pandemic in 2020.

The city has employed several strategies to address the deterioration, including spending $500,000 in 2021 to fence off the district on weekends and at other busy times, posting security guards at entrances and exits and requiring IDs for admission. The report concluded that the efforts may have given the perception of heightened safety, but that many believed the chain-link barricades were an "eyesore."

Last year, the city shifted to bolstering the presence of Des Moines police and blocking streets to traffic, but RHI's report found the measures to be "expensive and unsustainable." The report recommends police continue to block off streets on busy nights, but that they use Department of Public Works employees to help with setting up and tearing down the barricades.

Scholer said the RHI team saw many businesses using best practices for ensuring safety, but those aren't a "consistent" experience throughout the district.

Des Moines police spokesperson Sgt. Paul Parizek previously told the Des Moines Register that overall crime in the district declined from 2021 to 2022. However, he said crime involving weapons rose.

Police data obtained by the Register showed the majority of so-called persons-related crimes, such as assaults, occurred in specific areas of the district. From 2018 to 2022, for example, a total of 60 reports of assaults came from Court Center alone.

Following the Register's reporting, the city's Zoning Board of Adjustments amended the alcohol permits for Court Center businesses to bar alcohol sales after midnight. The district has since seen a 78% reduction in calls for police service, with only nine in the first quarter of 2023 compared to 42 during the same period in 2022, according to the report.

Scholer said she was glad to hear crime stats were reduced significantly, but said these sorts of issues will happen again.

"There are certain risks associated with this business model. It's an incredibly vital business model … it's about what brings people together," she said. "But there are safeguards that need to be taken and stewardship of this industry."

Competition comes from other growing social hubs

RHI's report highlighted how Court Avenue's reputation has fallen as other districts have developed.

"Within Downtown and the city, East Village, Ingersoll and Market District have also emerged as viable contenders to the market that Court Avenue used to reign supreme over," RHI's report said.

Brown said he worries Court Avenue will continue to lose its competitive advantage if it becomes overly saturated with bars over other forms of entertainment, including options such as movie theaters and bowling alleys, which are more family-friendly. However, he said, he's encouraged by RHI's suggestion to hire a night manager.

"It's going to take a concerted effort," Brown said. "To continuously allow just bars to open up downtown, I do think it's going to be labeled as kind of a bar area. And it's not going to attract the size of the entertainment crowd we're looking for."

Scholer suggested the city revive its nightlife association, but with a broadened scope. She also suggested activating the Riverwalk Hub, a city-owned lunch and evening social hour spot that closed in June.

Report calls for multiple initiatives to address Court District's needs

Another solution Scholer pointed to is a rideshare hub that would provide a place for "hundreds, if not, thousands" of bar patrons to connect with rides home at closing time.

"Right now, it is difficult to get either a taxi or a rideshare vehicle at that time," she said.

The consultants also held a women's focus group where participants cited a need for sexual violence prevention resources such as marketing campaigns on how to keep women safe and training on sexual violence prevention for nightlife employees.

Scholer also said lack of safe transportation was the top barrier for more women going out.

"We found that many women actually have the cell phone number of their favorite Uber driver for instance," she said.

Other recommendations included:

• Improving systems of review for businesses serving alcohol so the public can weigh in on renewals. The report notes that the city also can work more closely with the state when it comes to license issuance.

• Establishing security standards for venues with alcohol licenses, such as staff training and weapons detection systems.

• Creating a local business registry to help keep track of the mix of businesses and increase accountability.

• Addressing nighttime safety concerns associated with parking lots and holding owners more accountable.

• Enhancing the skywalk connecting the Iowa Events Center to Court Avenue as a safe and inviting route for patrons seeking after-show meals and drinks.

• Reviving a business association for the district with a broader scope, bringing in perspectives from outside downtown and encouraging a greater advocacy role for the Downtown Neighborhood Association.

• Using diversity, equity and inclusion funds to "expand diverse social opportunities for downtown," including arts events.

Francesca Block is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at FBlock@registermedia.com or on Twitter at@francescablock3.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Court Avenue entertainment area needs renewal, Des Moines leaders say