Eliminate Walnut Transit Mall?

Posted on August 10, 2007 in Around the metro, Downtown by DM

flickr photo of walnut transit mall by turtlemoon Josh asks whether the City of Des Moines should eliminate the Walnut St. Transit Mall and return that area to street-level retail.

My thought is no. With Younkers gone, there is no “anchor” in the area anymore. And, there is PLENTY of new retail space popping up all over downtown Des Moines - East Village, Court Ave., Gateway West… there is even talk about converting the Younkers building to smaller retail spaces.

Yes, the Transit Mall is what killed Walnut St. retail years ago, but to be honest, I think having a centralized “hub” where folks meet their transfer buses is critical too. It makes perfect sense to me - always has - to have that downtown, even in spite of the lost retail.

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