Construction of a $5.5 million animal shelter is slated to begin in 2020 at Southeast 14th and Harriett streets. Architectural rendering by Hartman Trapp Architecture Studio

A new animal control shelter at Southeast 14th and Harriett streets will replace Des Moines’ existing shelter, which is outdated and in need of numerous repairs, city staff said this week.

The new one-story shelter, valued at $5.5 million, will be about 17,000 square feet with office space, animal shelters, a veterinary clinic, training and meeting rooms, and an adoption center. An outdoor pet exercise area will also be included.

“The project aims to change the public’s perception of animal [shelters] and their role in the community,” city staff wrote in a report to the Urban Design Review Board, which this week heard project details.

The building will be located just north of the Des Moines River in an area that has experienced flooding in past years even though a levee separates the property from the river.

The building’s pad will be elevated 3 feet to make the facility more resilient to flooding, according to Ryan Moffatt, Des Moines’ economic development project manager. The pad will be 16 feet above the river level but won’t be taller than the levee, he said.

“It is not really feasible for us to get the building up high enough to meet the 100-year flood levels,” Thomas Trapp of Hartman Trapp Architecture Studio told the review board this week. He said designers know that the levee could be breached, but “we’re doing everything we can to address flood resiliency.”

He said the facility will be built with materials that will not deteriorate if flooding occurs.

Board member Stephanie Weisenbach asked about evacuation plans if flooding occurred.

The facility will be managed by the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, Trapp said. ARL, which has managed Des Moines’ animal control facility since 2009, “will be part of that plan to move the animals to higher ground and other facilities where they do have capacity,” he said.

The new facility will replace the existing structure at 1615 E. Granger Ave. located on the south side of the Des Moines River. It has not yet been determined what will happened with the current facility, city staff said.

Construction of the new facility will begin in 2020 with completion expected in summer of 2021. 

Construction of a new animal control shelter is scheduled to begin in 2020. The shelter is located just north of the Des Moines River, in an area that has flooded in the past years. Map provided by city of Des Moines.