The City of Des Moines commissioned the planning team of OPN Architects and MWL Architects to conduct a Space Needs and Test Fit Study to determine the feasibility of moving entire city departments and services to a newly acquired five-story office building in downtown Des Moines. The study included an analysis of the existing spaces, circulation, security, building services and public spaces. Together with the owner’s representatives, the planning team tested two basic strategies including complete and partial relocations of all city administration and police services to the re-purposed building, ultimately selecting the complete relocation strategy. To accommodate available City funding, the planning team proposed a two-phase implementation of the move with first phase prioritizing relocation of city administration functions and services allowing the second phase, which would require more significant renovations, to be implemented at a future date. The second phase will include relocation of all police department functions to the re-purposed building with the exception of the police academy, training and tactical teams.

Following the conclusion of the study, OPN was engaged to execute design and documentation to implement the recommended solution. Challenges in reconfiguring the existing spaces included identifying existing spaces for reuse, reconfiguring spaces for new functions, and inserting new spaces to meet the City’s unique programmatic needs while balancing operational security and accessibility to the public. The building consolidated eleven city departments and public meeting rooms spread across four separate locations to a single centrally and accessibly located facility accommodating increased staff collaboration and more convenient public access while contributing to the City’s and OPN’s sustainability goals through re-purposing an existing, vacant building in the heart of downtown.

Phase 1 construction was completed in November 2025 and occupied by the City in January 2026. Phase II renovations will be designed and constructed at a future date.