$9 million project will transform Des Moines Water Works Park

A $9 million renovation project could make Water Works Park a music destination once again.

The 1,500-acre park hosted big music festivals in the past, but recent flooding has left organizers scrambling for alternative locations at the last minute. A country music bash was canceled last summer and Jolly Holiday Lights closed early in December when light displays were surrounded by high water. It will permanently relocated to Adventureland Park in Altoona this winter.

That has made Water Works Park a risky bet for anyone putting together an outdoor gathering.

But backers of a new dual-stage amphitheater with a grassy lawn for 25,000 people say Water Works could soon draw large events to the park just south of downtown Des Moines.

The musical theater, which could open next year, is planned on a portion of the park that is less prone to flooding. It is part of a larger renovation project that includes a welcome center, a new space for food trucks and a tunnel beneath Fleur Drive to connect the park to Gray's Lake.

“I love Water Works. That’s why I scheduled my first festival there,” said Sam Summers, one of the region’s top concert promoters and the man behind this past weekend's Hinterland Music Festival.  “I think other festivals would look to move there and some as they outgrow their current areas.”

Summers planned the first Hinterland at Water Works Park in 2015. But flooding forced the two-day event 30 miles south to St. Charles just days before the show. When it came to hold the second Hinterland this summer, organizers returned to St. Charles. The festival drew about 18,500 music fans this weekend to see acts like Willie Nelson and Grace Potter.

GET MORE BUZZ: Like this story? Sign up for the Your Morning Juice newsletter for updates on food, drink and what people are talking about in Des Moines.

Should flood-prone Water Works Park be a concert venue?

The Water Works Park amphitheater and “great lawn” project is planned for the southeast corner of the park, near the Water Works administrative building at Fleur Drive and George Flagg Parkway.

Planners chose the location partially due to the lay of the land. It is higher in elevation than most other spots in the park, including a large clearing to the west where previous music festivals were held.

The site can also serve as an entry point to the park.

“We’re kind of creating a front porch to the rest of the park,” said Sam Carrell, executive director of the Des Moines Water Works Park Foundation. “We want people to realize we have 1,500 acres of some really cool things.”

Carrell and other members of the Water Works Park Foundation, a 20-member board formed three years ago to guide the project, say drawing major festivals and events is a secondary priority of the group.

“This whole thing is based on daily use, with the ability to stage larger events.” Carrell said.

The foundation has raised $5 million from private donors and is now making the rounds at local corporations looking to raise the additional $4 million needed to complete the project. Construction is expected to begin next year.

A larger north-facing amphitheater stage would have a smaller side stage flanked by areas for food trucks and other mobile food vendors. The spaces would be linked by walkways, natural play structures for children, outdoor classrooms and various water features.

One of the most functional portions of the project is a tunnel beneath Fleur Drive that would connect Water Works and Gray's Lake parks. The tunnel would provide safer route for bicyclists and runners looking to avoid the busy road.

Construction on that portion of the project is not expected to start until 2018, Carrell said.

Des Moines, which own Gray's Lake Park, has yet to sign off on the tunnel concept.

“We’re purposely keeping our jury out until we see more detail,” said Ben Page, the city's Park and Recreation director. “The next step is to negotiate how it’s going to be built, what materials are going to be used.”

Water Works planners say flood-resilience has taken priority in all design elements. Electrical outlets will be placed high up on the amphitheater stage in case the area goes underwater.

“We’re not going to invest any money there that’s going to wash downstream,” said Ryan Hanser, a member of the Des Moines Water Works Foundation board. “The last bit of park to go underwater is actually where this dual-stage amphitheater will be.”

Amedeo Rossi, organizer of the 80/35 Music Festival, voiced skepticism about creating a viable music venue in Water Works Park.

“I’d have to have some convincing,” he said. “After what I saw last year, it’s hard for me to forget. It knocked out two major events that were going to be there.”

Flooding in late June canceled the River Bank Bash festival that included country acts Eric Church, Travis Tritt and others. Hinterland faced the same challenge when the Raccoon River surged suddenly in late July 2015.

But Hinterland organizers used a drier portion of the park, the area now designated for the amphitheater lawn, as a park and ride for Des Moines ticket-buyers heading to St. Charles last year.

“When the rest of the ground was soft, we were able to park cars there still,” Summers said. “I think for other events that space is a very promising area.”