Kim Norvell

knorvell@dmreg.com

Windsor Heights could convert an empty auto shop into a bustling hub for cyclists, complete with a restaurant, outdoor patio, locker rooms and bike repair station.

The former Sears Auto Center sits just west of the Wal-Mart on 73rd Street, at the nexus of the Walnut Creek and Clive Greenbelt trails.

That's where consultants recommend that the city build a trail hub.

"I’d love to see something like that. It'd be just wonderful," said Dan Baldi, community bike shop manager for the Des Moines Bicycle Collective. "You'd have good trail access, and it would be a good place for families to go and enjoy the community."

Windsor Heights received a trail hub feasibility study last week that determined the city could support such a concept. Now, city leaders will explore funding options for the project.

Mayor Diana Willits said she hopes construction can begin next year.

"This would be very unique," she said. "It would be dynamic, so it would be something that changes every few weeks as far as entertainment and art goes so people would continually want to come to this destination."

GET MORE BUZZ: Like this story? Sign up for the Your Morning Juice newsletter for updates on food, drink and what people are talking about in Des Moines.

The study, conducted by PROS Consulting and Confluence Landscape Architecture & Urban Design, recommends that Windsor Heights' trail hub include:

A restaurant or cafe with indoor and outdoor seating for 30 to 40 guests;

Restrooms with lockers, a changing room and bike storage;

A bike repair station with air pump, hand tools and repair stand;

Lawn or event space with a covered pavilion or stage;

An interactive art display or a nature play area.

The consultants' report suggests that the city repurpose the Sears Auto Center, 1003 73rd St., to avoid the cost of new construction.

The 9,080-square-foot building sits on 3.2 acres that abuts the Walnut Creek and Clive Greenbelt trails. A third trail travels north from the site and links to the Urbandale bike trail system. There is ample parking and easy sidewalk access to nearby businesses and Colby Park, 6900 School St.

Willits said it is too early to tell whether the trail hub will end up at that location. There are other areas, such as Colby Park or the business district at University Avenue and 66th Street, that could accommodate the project.

The hub would improve central Iowa's trail network by providing a centrally located access point for cyclists, said Mike Armstrong, associate transportation planner for the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. The trail system is popular in rural areas, but many urban residents drive their bicycles to hubs outside the metro.

Beers and bikes popular along High Trestle Trail

A Windsor Heights hub would provide access for people to ride their bikes to work or to run errands, and help facilitate a more active lifestyle among residents, according to Armstrong.

"I think those are going to be really dramatic benefits to a project like this," he said.

Windsor Heights began exploring trail hub plans more than two years ago, Willits said. The feasibility study found that there's strong support for the concept among bicyclists, walkers and joggers.

Other area cities have trail hubs — the Riverwalk Hub Spot in Des Moines has food and coffee vendors, and Trailhead Park in Bondurant includes an open-air shelter. And other hubs have grown up around popular watering holes of cyclists, such as Mullets, 1300 S.E. First St., and the Cumming Tap, 117 N. 44th St. in Cumming.

Ankeny is building a trail hub on the southern end of the High Trestle Trail. The Ankeny Market & Pavilion will include parking and restrooms in a park setting with two open-air pavilions that can host farmers markets and other summertime events. Backers expect that the park will draw 100,000 visitors a year once it's completed in fall 2017.

Fundraising for a public art installation at the Raccoon River Valley trailhead in Waukee is underway. The $1 million Waukee Railroad Pergola: In the Shadow of the Rails will be installed at Hickman Road and County Highway R22. It is the first of several public art projects planned for the 89-mile trail. It will be 350 feet long, with a canopy that is 15 feet tall and 18 feet wide.

The Windsor Heights study outlines cost scenarios for the proposed trail hub on 73rd Street that range from $200,000 to $1.7 million, depending on whether the city decides to lease the space or purchase it. Costs would also depend on the businesses tapped to operate in the hub.

"It’s much more than I had even hoped for," Willits said. "There’s a huge need for it."