The extension of MLK Parkway from 30th Street in Des Moines to Pleasant Hill will open the area to further industrial development and placemaking opportunities, while creating a more direct pathway from Des Moines to U.S. Highway 65 and interstates 80 and 35, city leaders said.

What is commonly called the Southeast Connector project will improve safety and the reliability of the movement of freight and people across the area, making the surrounding area an attractive site for companies looking to expand or relocate, officials said.

Officials in Pleasant Hill said when complete, the extension will be a three-prong economic development tool the community can use to attract both people and companies to the community.

Officials recently announced that Des Moines was awarded a $34 million grant to complete the extension. Construction is set to begin in spring 2025 and be complete in late 2027. The Infrastructure For Rebuilding America grant is the largest award ever received by the city.

Paul Cownie, co-owner and CEO of Des Moines Industrial, which owns the Transload Facility along MLK Parkway on the city’s southeast side, said the Southeast Connector will allow for future expansion of the rail-based facility, as well as paving the way for future development along the corridor.

But it will be more than that, Cownie said.

“It’s going to impact more than just this corridor that we’re talking about,” he said. “This is a direct artery to the Market District of downtown Des Moines and other contiguous neighborhoods. It’s going to be a really good thing from a development standpoint.”

Cownie said he envisions additional industrial growth along the corridor, but he also sees the area ripe for the addition of “a little bit of everything.”

That could include convenience stores as they see traffic counts rise, as well as other retail opportunities, he said.

“I think that this project has gotten the attention and will continue to get the attention of retail developers and industrial developers like myself,” Cownie said.

The goal for the Transload Facility is to expand as demand dictates, with nothing built on speculation, which was the case with the current facility.

Cownie said he’s already received interest from some companies, but he wasn’t ready to make any announcements.

“I’ll just say this: I think 2024 is going to be a good year for Des Moines Industrial,” he said

Des Moines Mayor Connie Boesen called the Southeast Connector a “transformative project.”

“Having a really good road and pathway out to the interstate I think will make some people really look at the region, and in an area that would never have existed without this roadway, so that’s where it creates the opportunity for more businesses and provides people more opportunities for  jobs,” she said.

Boesen also said the project will enhance the trail system in the area, particularly the Pleasant Hill and Carlisle trails, and improve flood protection by upgrading around 4,000 feet of the levee system along the Des Moines River. The project also includes the construction of a 1,500-foot bridge over Fourmile Creek and a railroad track.

For Pleasant Hill, the access the Southeast Connector will provide creates opportunities to attract new residents and businesses, said Madeline Sturms, the city’s assistant city manager and community development director.

She said Pleasant Hill has been working with Des Moines for over a decade on the project, saying when it’s complete, it will create even better access to downtown Des Moines for Pleasant Hill residents.

Sturms said there are over 800 acres for development in Pleasant Hill.

“So enhancing that transportation network just helps facilitate those opportunities that will become available once this connection is complete,” she said.

Much of that area that is adjacent to the connector is in a flood plain, so Pleasant Hill will take advantage of that as an opportunity to create a placemaking amenity with trails and water at what will be an entryway to the community.

There are also commercial and industrial sites available along the University Avenue corridor in Pleasant Hill, and the extension will provide greater access to those areas while alleviating truck traffic through other parts of town, she said.

“This will allow them a safer access point to get on the connector and onto highway 65 without having to navigate through the more residential areas,” Sturms said.