Des Moines University will pay the city of West Des Moines more than $1.2 million over 10 years to lease space at the city’s MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex, according to an agreement approved by the City Council this week.

The city last year sent requests to every West Des Moines physical therapy business for proposals to lease space at the RecPlex, according to information included in the council packet. The only response the city received was from Des Moines University, which is moving its Des Moines campus to West Des Moines adjacent to the 60-acre RecPlex site. The RecPlex is under construction at 6500 Grand Ave.

City officials in November announced West Des Moines’ partnership with DMU.

On Monday, the council approved an agreement with Des Moines University, which will lease 4,981 square feet of “unfinished, raw office space” on the first floor of the RecPlex. The university will be responsible for completing the build-out of the area, according to the city document. The space will include a 2,000-square-foot gymnasium designed to support physical therapy services for individuals and groups. It will also include four treatment rooms.

The center’s focus will be physical therapy, athletic training and sports performance, according to the city document. DMU also may provide athletic trainers for tournaments and events hosted at the RecPlex.

The 10-year agreement includes an initial monthly lease fee of $9,131.83, which will provide West Des Moines $109,581.96 during the first year. The lease amount increases 2% annually in the second through fifth years of the lease and 3% annually in each of the five subsequent years.

Also Monday, the council learned that $75,000 pledged to the construction of the RecPlex by the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau won’t be available this year because of a decline in hotel-motel tax revenue caused by the coronavirus-related state shutdown. The $42 million project is being paid for with money from the public and private sectors.

The RecPlex will include two ice hockey rinks, a 90,000-square-foot indoor turf field, four indoor basketball courts with the availability of eight volleyball courts, locker rooms and meeting space with seating for up to 2,100 people. Also planned are three outdoor soccer fields with space for two additional future fields

West Des Moines will own and operate the facility, construction of which is expected to be completed in the fall.

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