East Grand Ave. Better Block to be Unveiled on Thursday

Ribbon cutting event to celebrate week-long beautification project in Historic East Village

Vibrant colors on the street, an elevated and protected bike lane, landscaped sidewalks with planters and trees are just a few of the improvements seen on East Grand Ave. this week thanks to a pop-up Better Block beautification and accessibility project. Through to the work of dozens of local volunteers, the block of East Grand Ave. in Historic East Village, between East Fifth and East Sixth Streets, has gone through a rapid transformation in a matter of four days.

The Des Moines community is invited to celebrate the unveiling of the Better Block project with a ribbon cutting ceremony, along with music and entertainment, on Thursday, July 19, at 5:30 p.m., outside Raygun, 505 East Grand Ave., Des Moines.

Who: AARP Iowa State Director Brad Anderson
Meg Schneider, Senior V.P. of Regional Business Development, Greater Des Moines Partnership
City of Des Moines officials
Local businesses on East Grand Ave.

What: The Better Block project promotes a healthy, fun and active street through protected and colored bike lanes for cyclists and walkers, landscaped sidewalks with planters and trees, public art and murals, outdoor café seating, revamped intersection crossings, floating parking lanes, string lights, signage and more.

When: Thursday, July 19 @ 5:30 p.m.

Where: Outside Raygun in Historic East Village, 505 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines

A primary objective of this Better Block is to rebrand the infrastructure in place to create something that business owners can fall in love with and take pride in. By having more options on East Grand for active transportation, and not just cyclists, as well as incorporating more public art, the street can become an even bigger destination in Des Moines

The project complements the Connect Downtown pilot project currently in place on East Grand Avenue between East Second and East Seventh Streets. Connect Downtown is exploring how to make Downtown Des Moines safer, more comfortable and more convenient by improving access to and within Downtown for people walking, bicycling, driving and using public transportation.

“I’ve spent almost 13 years building a retail business in Downtown Des Moines’ Historic East Village and have seen the major difference a walkable block can make to a business,” said Mike Draper, founder and owner of Raygun. “Changes at the street and sidewalk level that may seem small in the big scheme of things can add up to a vibrant neighborhood.”

This is the fifth project that AARP and Team Better Block have partnered on together to make cities across the United States more age-friendly and accessible to all demographics. AARP’s Livable Communities initiative supports the efforts of neighborhoods, towns, cities and rural areas to be great places for people of all ages.