Des Moines sets stadium hearing and opens competing proposal process

The Des Moines City Council voted Nov. 2, 2026, to schedule a Dec. 7 public hearing on a proposed development agreement with Krause+ for a district around the planned soccer stadium at the former DICO site downtown. The vote advances the proposal to public review; it does not approve the agreement.

The council also opened a process for other developers to submit proposals for the site. The Business Record reported a Dec. 4 deadline, three days before the scheduled hearing, giving the city a chance to consider an alternative proposal before it considers the Krause+ agreement.

The hearing date depends on competing proposals i

If a qualifying proposal arrives by Dec. 4, the schedule would include Urban Design Review Board consideration before the public hearing:

• Dec. 4: Reported deadline for proposals from other developers.
• Dec. 7: Scheduled public hearing if no qualifying proposal changes the calendar.
• Dec. 15 and Dec. 21: If a qualifying proposal is received, the board would consider it Dec. 15 and the hearing would move to Dec. 21.

In practical terms, the competing-proposal process could add a review step and shift the hearing by two weeks. The Dec. 7 date is therefore not certain if a qualifying proposal is submitted.

Agreement and city obligations remain pending i

Mayor Connie Boesen said the revised terms would reduce city contributions by more than $21 million compared with terms available a year earlier. That is the mayor’s comparison of proposed terms, not the final cost of the project or confirmed savings to taxpayers.

The City said Krause+ agreed to terms equivalent to those the City offered in August, which Krause+ had not accepted at the time. The City and local reporting said negotiations with Krause Group ended in August before the parties returned to discussions.

If the council gives final approval, the City says Krause+ would pursue the district while the Iowa Soccer Development Foundation would build the stadium and Global Plaza. Completion targets for both projects would be tied to city incentives, and design and construction work would progress in 2027.

Does the Nov. 2 vote commit the city to the agreement? No. The council still must take final action, and the city’s eventual obligations remain unresolved.