Downtown Des Moines site no longer eyed for ICE facility

1:53 PM, May 19, 2011
by Jason Pulliam

There is one less site in downtown Des Moines in the running to house a federal immigration enforcement center.

John Mandelbaum, a managing member of Ninth Street, LLC, this week sent a letter to city officials that advised his group will no longer seek a special use permit to allow an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office at 756 Ninth St.

The matter had been scheduled for consideration at next week’s Des Moines Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting.

The proposal drew opposition from Mayor Frank Cownie and two of downtown’s largest employers, primarily over concerns about its proximity to a residential area and child care facilities. City staff had recommended denial of Ninth Street, LLC’s request for a special permit.

One other location is still expected to be considered by the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

William Nielsen of Capstone Ventures LLC has applied to get permission to house the ICE office at 315 S.W. 14th St., a site within the Riverpoint district, an area the city has eyed for commercial, retail and residential redevelopment. The property is just under 4 acres with office and warehouse space, according to the Polk County Assessor.

Capstone’s request was the second the city had fielded as ICE looks for a new facility to process and temporarily detain alleged illegal immigrants.

ICE wants to find a new location in Des Moines or one of 11 other metro communities by late October. The law enforcement agency is currently located in the Neal Smith Federal Building, but it appears to have outgrown its space.

In November, a plan to open an ICE facility in an Urbandale warehouse was rejected by that city’s Planning and Zoning Commission. Before striking deals with any other property owners, federal officials want to make sure potential facilities are in areas zoned to house a government law enforcement agency.

That is what has prompted property owners to seek permission from the city because, generally, Des Moines zoning does not allow law enforcement operations without a special permit.

ICE spokesman Shawn Neudauer recently said the agency has occupied office space at the Federal Building in downtown Des Moines since ICE formed in 2003. ICE’s predecessor, Immigration and Naturalization Services, operated at the site from 1997 until 2003.

“There has never been an official complaint concerning the ICE office in Des Moines since it took over space in the building it currently occupies,â€