Downtown Des Moines Hy-Vee to get yet another set of new hours under agreement with city

Hy-Vee and the city of Des Moines have reached an agreement on the operating hours for its downtown supermarket ― and they're not going back to what they were before an abrupt reduction in February.

The store had been operating from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily before Hy-Vee on Feb. 5 cut the hours by a third, to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The move came without advance notice to the city government or public. Amid an ensuing uproar, the store's hours changed again ― and again without announcement ― to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., where they have remained.

Under the agreement, subject to council approval but included on the consent portion of the agenda for its May 6 meeting, which can be approved without discussion, the hours for a period of at least two years will now undergo seasonal changes.

Previously: After downtown store hours slashed, are Hy-Vee, Des Moines City Council near a resolution?

On Monday through Friday during daylight saving time ― March to November ― it will open at 8 a.m., an hour later than currently, and close at 8 p.m., also an hour later. Weekend hours will be considerably reduced: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

During the rest of the year, weekday hours will be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Weekend hours will remain the same as during daylight saving time. There are no required hours on state and federal holidays.

The agreement says that after the two-year period, the hours will return to those originally stipulated in a development agreement for the store, which opened in 2017: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The city imposed those hours as part of a deal that provided Hy-Vee and developer Knapp Properties a break on the cost of the city-owned land to build the long-sought downtown supermarket.

The city allowed the reduction to 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the period of COVID-19 pandemic closures, when many retailers were struggling.

More hours adjustments are possible for downtown Hy-Vee

The agreement may not be the last word on the new hours. Hy-Vee spokesperson Tina Potthoff said that while West Des Moines-based Hy-Vee believes "this amendment best addresses the concerns of those who live and work in the area," the store may open earlier than required on weekdays to accommodate customers who patronize its Starbucks stand. She said Hy-Vee leaders are continuing to discuss the idea.

Another provision in the agreement says the size of the store "shall be a minimum of 20,000 square feet of contiguous space." Currently, the store's total floor space is 36,000 square feet.

Before the hours changed in Februrary, the store had begun to partition off its beer, wine and liquor department, and said more partitions were planned. Potthoff said the provision in the new agreement means it must maintain a grocery space of at least 20,000 square feet ― not that it would reduce the store's overall size.

Downtown neighborhood leader: 'We weren’t part of the discussion'

Brandon Brown, president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, expressed disappointment in the new schedule. The association had held out hope that the hours of operation would be restored to 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

After it cut the hours, Hy-Vee cited what it said was rising crime and disruptive behavior in the store and declining foot traffic. Brown said Thursday he had been in contact with representatives of Hy-Vee, offering the association’s input and help to resolve any issues the location was having, but that the company declined, saying it wouldn’t be interested in speaking until after the agreement was passed with the city.

“We weren’t part of the discussion. We were ready to be a part of the discussion, and we wanted to help out,” he said. “We would have wanted to be involved had we known there was going to be this much give on the hours.

“Bottom line is, we want a successful grocery store. Hy-Vee is our neighbor. We wanted our neighbor to be successful,” he added. “If they’re not there, we lose.”

When asked if he expected the hours to stay the same, or return to the original times after two years, Brown couldn’t say.

“Only time will tell,” he said.

Philip Joens covers retail, real estate and RAGBRAI for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at 515-284-8184, pjoens@registermedia.com or on Twitter @Philip_Joens.

Addison Lathers covers growth and development for the Des Moines metro. Reach her at 608-931-1761 or alathers@registermedia.com, and follow her on X at @addisonlathers.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: More changes coming in operating hours of downtown Des Moines Hy-Vee