If you want to become a member, which gives you rights to vote for the Association board and run as a board member after one year of membership, the cost is $12 per person per year.

Everyone is welcome to attend board and general meetings free of charge. Only paid members in good standing can vote.

Board meetings are held the second Tuesday of the month at 6pm via Zoom.
General meetings are held on the last Tuesday of the month at 6pm both in person at HOME, Inc, 1618 6th Ave., Des Moines, IA 50314 and via Zoom. 

River Bend is less then 2 miles from the center of downtown Des Moines, including the Civic Center, Iowa Events Center, Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center, Hy-Vee Hall, the Des Moines Public Library, the Grubb and downtown YMCA, Principal Park, home of the Iowa Cubs Baseball team, the Principal River Walk, the Downtown Des Moines Dog Park, along with the Historic Court Avenue Entertainment District and Historic East Village featuring some of Des Moines best night clubs, restaurants and more.

The first step should be to contact the River Bend Neighborhood Association Housing Committee and we will get in touch. We have monthly meetings covering the Local Historic District, housing projects we are working on, and a new National Historic District effort about to be underway in the neighborhood and we could use the help!

No. If you do not replace the existing siding or windows, you are not required to comply.  If you go to replace or substantially repair your vinyl siding or windows, you will then be required to use materials that comply with the historic guidelines.

This choice would most likely cost you more time and money than if you would have contacted the River Bend Neighborhood Association Housing Committee and went through the approval process.  If you are reported to the city of starting/completing renovations that do not comply to the Historic District Fence Guidelines or the Historic District Architectural Guidelines, the City will issue a stop work order and you will be required to go through the approval process.  Any renovations that are non-compliant with the guidelines will most likely need to be changed to be compliant.

If you refurbish your existing windows and add a good storm window, the energy efficiency of this solution closely matches, and may even exceed, any new double pane window.

The first step should be to contact the River Bend Neighborhood Association Housing Committee and we will help you through the process which consists of completing a simple certificate of appropriateness applications for your renovations.  This process does not take the place of requirements to obtain a building permit from the city. To apply for a Certificate of Appropriateness you must complete this form.

Because you are located in a National Historic District which was one of the requirements to become a Local Historic District, State Historic Tax Credits are available and my apply to your home renovations; there may also be grant opportunities for particularly unique historic elements. Federal historic tax credits are also available for commercial properties. A forgivable loan of up to $10,000 or $20,000 may be available for your home through the Neighborhood Finance Corporation. And your improvements may qualify you for a 10-year property tax abatement from the City of Des Moines. Contact the River Bend Neighborhood Association Housing Committee and we will help you figure out if your renovations are covered and we will help you apply.

Download the Local Historic District Map for the now approved Local Historic District boundaries. All structures – including homes, multi-family apartment buildings, and commercial buildings – are subject to the history design guidelines.

Exterior renovations, alterations, and demolitions and new construction are covered by the Local Historic District guidelines, interior changes are not.  Exterior improvements include but are not limited to windows, siding, doors, foundations, siding, porches, garages, roofs, decks, fencing, retaining walls, railings, stairs, and sidewalks.  Exterior renovations not subject to Local Historic guidelines include but are not limited to paint color storm windows, and plantings.  The safest steps to take before beginning exterior renovations would be to review the Historic District Fence Guidelines and/or the Historic District Architectural Guidelines listed above. Then contact the River Bend Neighborhood Association Housing Committee and we will help you understand requirements and help you through the process to acquire a certificate of appropriateness from the City.

No, members of the River Bend Neighborhood Association initiated this project and approached the city to work with us. Over 70% of our owner-occupied properties signed the petition to become a local historic district.  Once the neighborhood showed us they wanted the local district, the City approved it through a  very detailed public process. The City now enforces the ordinance just as it enforces zoning and building codes.

River Bend has some of the most distinctive architecture in the city of Des Moines that needs to be preserved. It helps makes our neighborhood one of the most unique areas in the metro area. The area that is now the River Bend Local Historic District has been a National Historic District for over a decade. As more houses are either demolished or non-historically accurate renovations occur on our houses in the district, we run the risk of losing our National Historic District status and the benefits associated with that designation. The designation also protects the investments people make in their homes and other properties, ensuring that renovations and new construction add long-term value to the neighborhood, adding to the area’s unique quality of life.

The SCRUB (Spring Cleanup to Remove Urban Blight) Program offers Des Moines residents an opportunity to dispose of debris, yard waste, tires and appliances at no cost. Click on this link for details about SCRUB.

• Our DMPD Neighborhood Based Service Delivery (NBSD) Officer is Ofc. Brookelyn Danti
• She can be reached at bfdanti@dmgov.org or 515-971-0730.
• Officer Danti is the NBSD officer in charge of the River Bend neighborhood which is a branch of the Des Moines Police department.
• Contact Officer Danti if you have a situation that you feel needs the attention of law enforcement but is not of an urgent nature or if you have contacted authorities and would like her to follow up on a situation.

Non-emergency dispatch number 515-283-4811

Call 911.

To report a street light out, email Maggie mnorton@midamerican.com and carbon copy Deanna dlharwood@midamerican.com. Include the address where the street light is located.

• Jan Shafer, City Inspector
• He can be reached at jlshafer@dmgov.org, cell 515-208-0319, office 515-283-4008

To report any measurable unshoveled snow on sidewalks 48 hours after the end of a snow fall, call 515-283-4950

Send an email to weedcommision@polkcountyiowa.gov. Include the address of the violation.

Renovating tips and trusted contractors check renovatedsm.org. It is the official website of the Des Moines Rehabbers Club! The DSMRC is a non-profit group dedicated to revitalization in Des Moines through renovation, preservation, and maintenance of historic buildings.

Polk County Health Department resources