Des Moines looking at Streetcars, Rapid Bus Transit

UNOstudent · Post by **UNOstudent** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 1:15 pm

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs. ... 30359/1007

Members of the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority will decide later this year whether to pursue plans to spend about $50 million to spur downtown tourism or on developing a quicker way to transport residents to work and elsewhere.

The options, which are tied to economic development, include:

- Installing a streetcar that would travel on tracks throughout the downtown Des Moines area and would be powered by an overhead wire.

- Developing either a north-south or east-west rapid bus corridor that would allow buses to move quickly from one point to another with less interference from other vehicles.

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 2:41 pm

Up next... the Blank Park Zoo panda bear exhibit. Â Is it just me... or have things been moving at a snail pace in Omaha lately. Â You have to admire Des Moines... they just get things done... now.

Post by **nebugeater** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 3:31 pm

Stargazer wrote:Up next... the Blank Park Zoo panda bear exhibit. Is it just me... or have things been moving at a snail pace in Omaha lately. You have to admire Des Moines... they just get things done... now.

Sorry but the Blank park zoo is nice and all but no where near the league of the Omaha zoo. Â And yes, I have been there, most recently last fall. Â If they get a Panda it will be stuffed in their gift store!

( Yes, I assume you are just making a point Â

)

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 3:46 pm

Actually I was serious. Â Apparently you missed this story a couple of years ago...

D.M. sets its sights on a pair of pandas

A local group hopes it can work out a deal with partners in China. But Omaha is in the hunt, too.

By JASON CLAYWORTH
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Copyright 2005, Des Moines Register and Tribune Company
July 14, 2005

An agreement with a Chinese research group could bring a pair of endangered giant pandas to Des Moines.

Pandas live in four U.S. zoos and are coveted as surefire crowd pleasers.

But landing them is expensive, and the process can take a long time.

"There are no pandas in the heart of America. They're either on the East Coast, the West Coast or down South," said Paul Shao, president of the Chinese Cultural Center of America, an Iowa group. "You could have a chain reaction in terms of economic development and tourism."

Shao, who teaches architecture at Iowa State University, traveled to China last year with a group of state leaders that included former Iowa Gov. Robert Ray. They signed a letter of intent with the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding for a long-term research project in which two giant pandas would be lent to Iowa.

Where the pandas would live if they get to Des Moines has not been determined, but talks have started with officials at Blank Park Zoo in south Des Moines.

"It's a unique opportunity," said the zoo's director, Terry Rich. "We'll be at the table."

Rich noted that pandas are only in zoos accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, a nonprofit group in Silver Spring, Md. Blank Park Zoo and the Great Ape Trust of Iowa, also on Des Moines' south side, are the only accredited facilities in the state.

Officials will work this year on a long-term zoo-improvement plan that will include a possible panda exhibit, which would cost upward of $1 million a year.

"For us, this is a first step," Rich said. "We're willing to look at anything that enhances the future of the zoo and Iowa."

Zoos seeking pandas must coordinate with Chinese and American government officials. Rich estimated the process could take four to eight years.

Zoos with pandas typically must provide air conditioning, wooded areas and 20 to 40 pounds of bamboo for each panda per day, he said.

Officials at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, whose 2004 attendance of 1.5 million was five times that of Blank Park Zoo , said they also are at work to land their own giant pandas. Nebraska state leaders have talked with Chinese political leaders at least twice and have invited them to Omaha later this year. But no panda agreement is in place, a Henry Doorly spokeswoman said. Neither side would handicap which city is ahead in the panda race.

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:28 pm

I remember that article and it looked pretty bleak for Des Moines. I can't think of what they've been doing so much faster than us. They're playing catch up.

OmahaJaysCU · Post by **OmahaJaysCU** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:38 pm

DTO Luv wrote:I remember that article and it looked pretty bleak for Des Moines. I can't think of what they've been doing so much faster than us. They're playing catch up.

Until we start laying track, they aren't catching up to anything, they are right on par.

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:44 pm

I'm talking about more than streetcars.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:21 am

DTO Luv wrote:They're playing catch up.

Yeah, like in the number of people working downtown? Â

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 6:02 pm

Considering they can't figure out what Downtown there is for this definition. They define it as an area roughly as big as our Downtown and Midtown.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 11:01 pm

I guess I don't understand why we should 'admire Des Moines'. Of course I'm pleased to see another city on our region doing well..But I guess I don't admire them..By definition, if you admire someone or something, it would mean to look up to them too..etc..

By the end of this decade, Omaha will have invested $4 billion in it's downtown and riverfront..Including 3 new highrises..If anything, that's something we already know other cities admire..In terms of development this decade, Omaha takes a backseat to NO city regionally..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

praymojo420 · Post by **praymojo420** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 11:29 pm

Except maybe Denver.

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 1:53 pm

Heh heh ... there is no 'looking up to' in admiration. Â But that said, I personally do look up to a few things which Des Moines has. Â Every city has it's assets... Des Moines is no different... in fact, I think it's assets belie it's smaller city status.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 5:31 am

Stargazer wrote:Heh heh ... there is no 'looking up to' in admiration. Â But that said, I personally do look up to a few things which Des Moines has. Â Every city has it's assets... Des Moines is no different... in fact, I think it's assets belie it's smaller city status.

I gotch'a..

Â ..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 10:43 am

Des Moines has the advantage of being the state capital...and I can't really explain why I think that is an advantage, but I do.

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 3:23 pm

I think an even bigger benefit is it's central location within the state... not to say that in Nebraska, we have a population around the rest of the state to draw upon anyway. Â But Des Moines benefits from a larger population of Iowa residents commuting there for entertainment/shopping/etc. Â I think the whole 'Iowa Cubs', 'Iowa Stars', etc strategy... has 'capitalized' on this as well. Â Out state Nebraskans hate Omaha enough as it is... the last thing they'd think to do is attend an Omaha Royals game (especially when there's those Nebraska Cornhuskers playing closer by).

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:06 pm

No matter that most of the |expletive| people in Nebraska live within an hour and half of Omaha.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:18 am

Stargazer wrote:I think an even bigger benefit is it's central location within the state...

State lines are man-made. Â No one that lives in western Iowa, 30 minutes from Omaha is going to go to Des Moines over Omaha just because it's in Iowa. Â Omaha is the hub of western Iowa just as it is the hub of eastern Nebraska.

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 8:06 am

However, for what it's worth, I will drive to west O for something I can buy quicker in Council Bluffs to keep the tax money in the city. It's just one of my many quirks. Â (Same goes for Papillion, Bellevue, LaVista, etc.)

Not little petty stuff, mind you, but I would never dream of car shopping in IA other than for pricing leverage against an Omaha dealer.

-Big E

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 11:30 am

State lines are man-made. Â No one that lives in western Iowa, 30 minutes from Omaha is going to go to Des Moines over Omaha just because it's in Iowa. Â Omaha is the hub of western Iowa just as it is the hub of eastern Nebraska.

As it happens... 'no one' lives in western Iowa. Â There are 1 million MORE people in Iowa than there are in Nebraska. Â The vast majority of them live in eastern Iowa. Â Des Moines benefits from the commerce provided by visits from these people (whether it be a family trip to the new mega mall, Adventureland, the state wrestling tournament, etc, etc) to a much greater extent than Omaha does. Â While we draw somewhat from Lincoln... our economy is much more dependent on the immediate metro area. Â Likewise, as Iowa's large (unusually so compared to the rest of the country) rural population continues to migrate to the 'big city'... Des Moines will likely be their first choice (as can be seen in their rapidly increasing rate of population growth... outpacing both Omaha and Lincoln).

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:50 pm

Gosh, eastern Iowa is like MANHATTAN compared to western Iowa

Â

UNOstudent · Post by **UNOstudent** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:34 pm

Insurer to pay for downtown tram study

Nationwide Insurance officials announced this afternoon they will pay for the next step to implement components of a downtown plan that would include a tram to connect the Western Gateway Park and the East Village neighborhood.

The company will pay between $150,000 and $250,000 to study for a tram system, the cost, type, routes, and timeline for which would be determined later.

The study will begin within the next 30 to 60 days, officials said.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/p ... S/80311035

Post by **nebugeater** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:23 pm

http://www.ketv.com/sports/16492662/det ... 02008&ts=H

Officials announced Tuesday that Des Moines will get a new American Hockey League team.
In April, it was announced that the Iowa Stars would leave town and head south to Texas.
More than a month after parting ways with the Dallas Stars affiliation, the team announced the Anaheim Ducks would serve as Des Moines' new NHL affiliate.
Team owner, Kirby Schlegel and his family, introduced Anaheim General Manager Brian Burke and the new Iowa General Manager Brian Murray the press conference.
Schlegel said ticket prices will be lower and the Des Moines team will not go by the name Ducks.
They're hoping this new affiliation will give Des Moines a new start after an unsuccessful try as the Iowa Stars.
The team did not announce a new mascot or brand. Officials said those announcements would come later.