Woodland Avenue: a space of contestation and neighborhood

Breann Marsh-Narigon
Arch 528
December 15, 2005
Woodland Avenue: a space of contestation and
neighborhood identity formulation
Six blocks of Woodland Avenue along the southern border of the Sherman
Hill neighborhood in Des Moines combine to create a unique urban experience
within the city. A careful consideration of the street’s individual components
provides an opportunity to study a rich environment within a city struggling to
preserve, protect and enhance its fifty-one recognized neighborhoods. The space
is certainly contested, with residents, commercial business owners and city
officials struggling to define its nature as part of a historic neighborhood while
bordering an intensely commercial zone to the south. By analyzing spatial
practices along the street, representations of the space in maps and regulations, it
is possible to explore how the space is representational of a larger discourse on
urban life and experience.1
The Historic Sherman Hill Neighborhood is bound by I-235 on the North,
Woodland Avenue on the South, 15th Street to the East and the newly redesigned
Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway to the West (Figures 1 and 2). The city of Des
Moines was founded in 1843 and made capital of the young state in 1857. During
the 1850s, seeking rural land outside the burgeoning city, Des Moines Postmaster
Hoyt Sherman purchased a five-acre parcel of land in the undeveloped region on
its western border. Early maps show the surrounding landscape as fairly vacant,
with a cemetery and small section of platted land (Figure 3). Between the 1850s
and 1880s, Des Moines grew considerably, especially to the west, with the land
formally platted between 1877 and 1882 (Figure 4).
1
Lefebvre, Henri. “Plan of the Present Work.” The Production of Space. Oxford:
Blackwell Publishers. 1995.
By the turn of the century, the area had become a stylish Victorian suburb
(Figure 5). It was home to prominent businessmen and leaders including the
owner of the Younkers department store, “Uncle” Henry Wallace, founder of
Wallace’s Farmer, and U.S. Senator Lafayette Young.
Sherman Hill initially
contained elaborate, single-family residences on large lots, mostly of wood frame
with a few brick mixed throughout the neighborhood (See Figure 6). In “Zoning
and the Single Family Home”,2 Christine Boyer argues that after WWII there was
a significant push to promote single-family homeownership as a means of
introducing the stagnant savings of the working class into the flows of capital.
Though this phenomenon was certainly a factor in the development of Des
Moines, especially on the south side, demand for additional housing closer to
downtown prompted the construction of multi-family buildings in Sherman Hill.
By the 1920s these brick flats could be seen on most streets, changing the density
of the neighborhood and giving it a more urban feel (Figure 7). Sherman Hill was
no longer a “suburb” but rather very close to downtown activity.
According to the history of Sherman Hill laid out in its 1999 action plan3,
many of the neighborhood’s early residents disliked this development and
moved to western suburbs. Most of the single-family homes were subdivided
into duplexes, apartment buildings, and boarding houses. This once “suburban”
community was now firmly entrenched in the “city as a way of life”. In Sprawl is
No Longer What it Used to Be, Edward Soja argues for a new paradigm for
understanding sprawl and the suburb. He writes,
“This modern metropolis, however, is no longer what it used to be….It is
not that the old modern metropolis has disappeared, but that it has
become increasingly layered over by something else, by new and
different social and spatial relations that no longer fit traditional
categories and modes of explanation. The same is true for sprawl.”4
2
Boyer, M. Christine. “Zoning and the Single-Family Home.” Dreaming the Rational
City: the Myth of the American City Planning. Cambridge: the MIT Press. 1983.
3
Sherman Hill Neighborhood Action Plan, 5-8.
4
Soja, Edward. Sprawl is No Longer What it Used to Be, 82.
Does a reflection on Sherman Hill’s changing spatial qualities not reveal a
similar situation, but one which occurred eighty years ago? I argue that the
suburb of Sherman Hill became a distinctly urban space with the construction of
high-density housing and the influx of new residents of the middle and working
classes and of differing races and ethnicities. During the later part of the 19th
century it was a space of “sprawl”, but after it moved from low to high density, a
new space of sprawl developed further to the west.
Reflecting its continued nature as a space of contestation, according to the
Des Moines Register, by the 1960s and 1970s, the neighborhood was “thick with
prostitution, drugs and slumlords.”5
In 1977, residents desiring change
organized and formed the Sherman Hill Association, a group dedicated to the
restoration and improvement of the historic neighborhood. The area was
designated a National Register Historic District in 1979, and classified as Des
Moines’ first local historic district in 1982. The association works closely with the
city, and two action plans have been written, one in 1981 and the most recent in
1999 (Figures 8 and 9). The association boasts that the preservation of the
neighborhood’s housing stock has spurred a movement back into the city, and
that “it has created an environment that is diverse in income, households, race,
and age”6 (Figures 10 and 11).
While this may be factually correct based on census data, the
neighborhood is in the process of changing in other significant ways. Density
levels are now decreasing primarily due to the conversion of homes back to their
original single-family design. New people are moving into the neighborhood,
wanting to live in and fix up aging homes, with the 1990 demographics reflecting
a strong presence of young people between the ages of twenty-five and thirtynine (Figure 12). The median income of residents is on the rise (Figure 13),
reflected in housing values and selling prices. There is a general trend toward
5
Borsellino, Rob. “Sweetest sound to victim: Police!” The Des Moines Register. April 3,
2002.
6
http://www.shermanhill.org
owner-occupancy and fewer rental units within buildings. 92% of the structures
in the neighborhood were constructed before 1949. From 1999 to 2000, the value
of Sherman Hill homes rose 52%, compared to an average Des Moines increase of
only 19%.7
Zoned as “Mixed Use and Density Residential”,8 (Figure 14) Sherman Hill
supports a “variety of residential densities with limited retail and offices uses.”
According to Mary Neiderbach, Des Moines City Planner,9 this designation was
specifically created for the neighborhood to preserve its unique character, and
the limited commercial possibilities are seen as a way to promote investment in
the existing buildings. The action plan explicitly states that mixed residential and
commercial uses can be combined within a single structure. The neighborhood
website informs visitors “ a recent planning trend is called the ‘New Urbanism’
with designs to construct neo-traditional neighborhoods with a mixing of
commercial and residential uses. Here the real thing already exists.”10 The
confluence of uses is particularly prevalent along Woodland Avenue and
Neiderbach acknowledges that this has been the street’s traditional role within
the community. Additionally, most neighborhoods once had a street that
provided limited commercial functions, but Woodland Avenue has always been
unique because of its proximity to Ingersoll Avenue, the historic east-west
commercial corridor, and downtown. The street is essentially now the filter point
between primarily residential use to the North and commercial use to the South.
As such, it has a higher proportion of small businesses along its length than any
other part of the neighborhood (Figures 15 and 16). It is also a primary conduit
for automobile traffic, and as such the action plan calls out a need for “traffic
calming” along its length.11
7
Sherman Hill Neighborhood Action Plan, 8-11.
2020 Des Moines Land Use Map, Des Moines Department of Community Development
9
Neiderbach, Mary. Personal Communication. December 15, 2005.
10
http://www.shermanhill.org
11
Sherman Hill Neighborhood Action Plan, 33.
8
On its eastern end, the street is bound by historic Hoyt Sherman Place
(Figure 17), Iowa Methodist Medical Center (Figure 18), and the Woodland
Brickstones (Figure 19), a new development of row houses. Walking west, one
passes several small businesses including Carl’s Place (Figure 20), the
neighborhood bar; Ancient Ways (Figure 21), a Wicca store; and Café di Scala
(Figure 22), a newly opened Italian restaurant. As it moves out of Sherman Hill
to the West, Woodland Avenue passes The Metro Market (Figure 23), a small
grocery store and the Art Store, specializing in high quality art supplies. The
street also allows for dynamic views of downtown to the east, with the Principle
Building figuring prominently in its skyline (Figure 24). The 1999 action plan
describes these unique views as assets which must be protected, and asserts that
views should be restored where currently obstructed by utility lines of other
constructed items of a “non-historic” nature.12
The varying levels of housing quality and density along the street are
representative of the neighborhood as a whole, as is the restoration work in
progress. According to information gathered from the Polk County Assessor,
singly family home values along Woodland Avenue range from $30,000 to over
$270,00013 (Figure 25). This disparity in assessed value occurs across the
neighborhood, but is particularly pronounced along this street. The most
valuable property in Sherman Hill sits at the corner of 16th and Woodland, while
one of the largest areas of low-valued homes can be found along the southern
block between 17th and 19th streets. The Des Moines Neighborhood Development
Office proposes that these “distressed” properties may be classified as such
precisely because they lie along an area that is more commercial in nature,
though the validity of this assertion necessitates further real-estate market
research.
12
13
Ibid, 21.
http://www.assess.co.polk.ia.us/
Neiderbach argues that the development of the 1500 block into the
Woodland Brickstones marked a key step in the progress of the street. At fifty-six
units per acre, they offer a residential density that is rare within the city and help
to define the southeastern corner of the neighborhood. Constructed in an early
20th century row-house style, the development originally called for a mix of
residential and commercial uses, but were built without the commercial entity.
Neiderbach acknowledges the difficulty in securing financing for such projects,
reflecting financial institutions’ hesitancy to support projects which they find
risky. She notes that it is much easier to obtain capital for development that is
only residential or commercial. For twenty-five years, the primary focus of the
neighborhood was on preserving historic structures, and the construction of the
Brickstones reflects a desire to create an atmosphere along Woodland Avenue
that will continue to attract new residents to the area.
The neighborhood and city celebrate the 5.5 million dollar renovation of
Hoyt Sherman Place, the former mansion of Hoyt Sherman which sits across the
street from the Brickstones. Purchased by the city after its owner’s death in 1904,
the aging structure houses the Des Moines Women’s Club, whose members
added a gallery serving as the city’s first public art museum and 1450 seat
theater. In 2003, the Des Moines Register argued that the renovation of the
structure was at the center of a cultural revitalization in downtown Des Moines,
which further reflects the symbolic importance of the street.14 The venue has
attracted shows which require a more intimate environment, including live
bands, theater performances and dance. Architect Kirk Blunck of Herbert Lewis
Kruse Blunck, who oversaw the theater’s restoration, heralded, “In 2005 people
will look back and wonder how this golden age in resurgence ever happened.”15
As 2005 draws to a close, it is apparent that this “resurgence” was carefully
calculated, at times politically charged and is still on going.
14
15
Munson, Kyle. “It’s Showtime!” The Des Moines Register. November 23, 2003
Ibid.
Also in 2003, the Des Moines Metro Market was established in an
abandoned M&M sales building at the intersection of Woodland and MLK. The
organizers chose the site for its proximity to the historic neighborhood and for its
strategic position along MLK, Des Moines’ new north-south corridor. As the
city’s first indoor farmer’s market, the business caters to small distributors with
an emphasis on Iowa-made products. Reflecting their concern for the
neighborhood, and the power of the community association, the owners now feel
they have to make the market more like a neighborhood grocery store, where
customers can stop in daily for items like milk and eggs. After its initial success
with shoppers attracted to the market’s local and organic goods, business waned
and the market has struggled to regain revenue by extending its days of
operation from two to six and by reestablishing its commitment to provide
residents with a full supply of produce. 16
While new developments like the Woodland Brickstones and the Metro
Market help to redefine the street, established commercial venues also contribute
to its distinctive character. Carl’s Place, a small neighborhood bar, situates itself
unapologetically at the corner of Woodland and 17th Street. Recognized by the
Des Moines Register as the premier dive bar of the region in June 2005,17 Carl’s is
microcosm of life along Woodland. “The crowd is white, black, rich, poor and
everything in between” with wood paneling concealing its brick construction
and cordoned off into small sections, allowing for more intimate conversation.
On a cold evening in December the musical score consisted of Black Sabbath,
Metallica, Motley Crue, and assorted other hard rockers. A rowdy and
competitive game of darts was in play, with others huddled around a table
playing a perpetual game of Texas Hold’Em poker. In two other rooms denizens
shot rounds of pool and played video games. Bar owners’ Mike and Jimmy
Daughenbaugh recognize that the establishment might occasionally conflict with
16
17
http://www.themetromarket.com
Forgrave, Reid. “He does a few deep dives.” The Des Moines Register. June 23, 2005.
the neighborhood’s nearby single-family residences, but argue that the bar
fulfills an important role within the community as a place where all types of
people can gather and interact. They say that many of the regulars are young
people from the neighborhood, but that the bar attracts people from around the
city because of its relaxed atmosphere. A sign on the inside of the front door
reminds the visitor of the bar’s relationship to the community and warns, “Please
Be Quiet and Respect Our Neighbors!”18
Walking across 17th to the West, one encounters a small eclectic store
which specializes in Wicca practices. For the past eight years, Jo VonStein has
provided herbs for alternative therapy, books, music, incense and beads and her
shop is in a structure that once housed a snack bar and soda fountain. The Des
Moines Register reports Sherman Hill resident Hal Davis as remarking, “Ancient
Ways is sort of out of the box. It is really hip. The store has a little bit of
everything. A really great thing about it is that it brings sort of a San FranciscoSeattle feel to Des Moines. If you’re not an adventurous person, you might thing
that is strange, but it has a mystic feel to it. This is a great place for the
neighborhood.”19 The shop’s alternative hours were not conducive to a further
investigation of the owner’s thoughts about the street, but it is apparent that the
store is attempting to weave itself into the neighborhood’s unique fabric.
Additional commercial ventures along Woodland Avenue include the
Café’ di Scala, a “contemporary Italian with Calabresse style” restaurant20,
situated in the large Victorian house which, until recently, contained the
celebrated Chat Noir, a restaurant locally famous for its crepes; the Central Iowa
Binding Corporation and the Beacon of Light, a non-profit organization.
18
Daughenbaugh, Mike. Personal Communication. December 13, 2005.
Smith, Christina. “Ancient Ways offers connection to ancient beliefs.” The Des Moines
Register. October 16, 2003.
20
http://www.cafediscala.com
19
The neighborhood’s relationship with the extensive commercial sites to
the south has also been contested in the past (Figure 26). The 1999 action plan
states,
“The Sherman Hill Association recognizes that commercial development
south of the Sherman Hill Historic District has multiple purposes.
Commercial uses serves the adjacent neighborhoods, provide goods and
services to the larger Des Moines community, and provide support uses
for downtown businesses. Proposes commercial and residential
development in this transition area should have a positive influence on
the Sherman Hill Historic District, as well as on the existing commercial
areas. The neighborhood supports a mixture of residential and
commercial uses within this transition area. “21
The plan’s focus on the character of commercial spaces along Woodland
Avenue and further South to Ingersoll Avenue led business owners to challenge
any change in zoning, which they felt would restrict their expansion
opportunities in the future. The plan called for the zoning to move from
“commercial” to “support commercial”. Representatives from G&L Clothing, Bill
Jensen’s Crescent Chevrolet and Stew Hansen’s Dodge, all of which own
property within the area in question, lobbied the city council to grandfather their
sites in as “commercial”, thereby eliminating the potential for new restrictions.
The neighborhood, city council and business members came to an agreement
which respected the current businesses, while requiring that new development
be zoned as “support commercial”. Businesses such as adult entertainment
shops, pool and game rooms, gas stations and convenience stores, lumberyards,
mini-storage facilities, and motels and liquor store were thereby forbidden.22
After analyzing the spatial practices and representations of space of
Woodland Avenue it is clear that the contemporary situation is truly one that is a
21
Sherman Hill Neighborhood Action Plan, 40.
Suk, Tom. “Sherman Hill rezoning bans liquor stores, motels”. The Des Moines
Register. August 18, 1999.
22
“special case of what is possible”.23 The residents who personally live the space
and the professionals who conceive and represent Woodland Avenue and its
larger neighborhood have shaped it, thereby creating a representational space
which embodies the contested nature of contemporary urbanity. The
environment of the street is a physicalization of its social struggles. By seeking to
formulate a distinct identity for the street, the actors can be seen as having
attempting to create a collective habitus. The rising value of land and housing
point to the district’s growing status as a space of high cultural and (increasingly)
economic capital. It remains to be seen whether this created space will continue
to promote and protect diversity (assuming it has in the past and is currently), or
will use its image as a means to remove the “other”, both from the street and
from the neighborhood. Regardless, the process of identity formulation along
Woodland Avenue can continue to inform those who wish to explore the
contested nature of contemporary urban life.
23
Bourdieu, Pierre. “Social Space and Symbolic Space.” Derek Robbins, ed. Pierre
Bourdieu: Volume IV. London: Sage Publications. 2000. P. 4.
Figure 1. *Woodland Avenue and Sherman Hill shown in yellow.
Figure 2. *Woodland Avenue shown in yellow.
Figure 3.
Figure 4.
Figure 5.
Figure 6.
Figure 7.
Figure 8.
Figure 9.
Figure 10. Sherman Hill
Neighborhood Action Plan
Figure 11. Sherman Hill
Neighborhood Action Plan
Figure 12. Sherman Hill
Neighborhood Action Plan
Figure 13. Sherman Hill
Neighborhood Action Plan
Figure 14. 2020 Des Moines Land Use Map.
Figure 15. Created by the author from information found on
http://www.assess.co.polk.ia.us/.
Figure 16. Created by the author from information found on
http://www.assess.co.polk.ia.us/.
Figure 17.
Figure 18.
Figure 19.
Figure 20.
Figure 21.
Figure 22.
Figure 23.
Figure 24.
Figure 25. Created by the author from information found on http://www.assess.co.polk.ia.us/.
Figure 26.
Work Cited
Borsellino, Rob. “Sweetest sound to victim: Police!” The Des Moines Register. April 3,
2002.
Bourdieu, Pierre. “Social Space and Symbolic Space.” Derek Robbins, ed. Pierre
Bourdieu: Volume IV. London: Sage Publications. 2000. P. 4.
Boyer, M. Christine. “Zoning and the Single-Family Home.” Dreaming the Rational
City: the Myth of the American City Planning. Cambridge: the MIT Press. 1983.
Café di Scala. Available at http://www.cafediscala.com
Daughenbaugh, Mike. Personal Communication. December 13, 2005.
Forgrave, Reid. “He does a few deep dives.” The Des Moines Register. June 23, 2005.
Lefebvre, Henri. “Plan of the Present Work.” The Production of Space. Oxford:
Blackwell Publishers. 1995.
The Metro Market. Available at http://www.themetromarket.com
Munson, Kyle. “It’s Showtime!” The Des Moines Register. November 23, 2003
Neiderbach, Mary. Personal Communication. December 15, 2005.
Polk County, Iowa Assessor. Available at http://www.assess.co.polk.ia.us/
Sherman Hill Neighborhood Action Plan. City of Des Moines Community Development
Department. 1999.
Sherman Hill Neighborhood Association. Available at http://www.shermanhill.org
Smith, Christina. “Ancient Ways offers connection to ancient beliefs.” The Des Moines
Register. October 16, 2003.
Soja, Edward. “Sprawl is No Longer What it Used to Be”, 82.
Suk, Tom. “Sherman Hill rezoning bans liquor stores, motels”. The Des Moines Register.
August 18, 1999.
2020 Des Moines Land Use Map, City of Des Moines Community Development
Department.