Des Moines' Mercy Medical Center to build $500 million hospital tower
Development plans have yet to be finalized, but officials say project will take five to eight years.
Photo by Mercy
Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa is working on an 11-story hospital tower and new parking garages in a campus-wide renovation project that could cost up to $500 million.
The nonprofit hospital has yet to finalize its development plans; officials have submitted an application to the City of Des Moines for an update of the Planned Unit Development agreement of Mercy's downtown campus. Included in the application is a request to rezone the existing Mercy Office Plaza land so that it may be incorporated into the updated PUD.
"Presently the plan is in the review phase by the City of Des Moines Plan and Zoning Commission and City Council," said Mercy spokesperson Gregg Lagan in an email. "Once P&Z has reviewed our request to modify the zoning of our central campus and they make a recommendation, it goes to the City Council for their review and final action on the request."
[Also: Mercy Health kicks off $14 million renovation project in Cincinnati]
Pending approval from Mercy's governing bodies and from the city, the hospital would begin work on the plan in the early winter of this year, according to a statement from Mercy.
If approved, the project would unfold over the next five to eight years with four main projects, the centerpiece being the 11-story hospital tower. The tower will feature two levels of underground parking that would replace the parking garage on the southeast side of the campus.
[Also: Mercy Hospital Joplin plants 9/11 Survivor Tree sapling five years after deadly tornado]
Additionally, a parking garage and lot will replace the adjacent Mercy Park Apartment buildings, and Mercy Office Plaza will be demolished to allow construction of a second garage. A new power plant will also be built on the west side of the campus.
The project has the potential to reduce Mercy's property tax bill. Though the hospital is a nonprofit, and therefore doesn't pay property taxes on the campus proper, it does pay property taxes for Mercy Park Apartments since they're separate from the hospital's charitable mission. The apartments would come off the tax rolls if they're demolished.
Lagan said the project is part of Mercy's efforts to "modernize the campus and invest in the northern region of the City of Des Moines."
Twitter: @JELagasse
