Urbandale's growth this year includes plans for the Douglas Avenue corridor. The city has a master plan, a branding contract, and a zoning study for the corridor between Merle Hay Road and 75th Street, which is planned as a downtown district.
Three miles west, in a building most people drove past for years without a second look, Recreation Station is already open. According to the Business Record, it opened in May with a 17,000-square-foot gym.
Plans for the Douglas Avenue Corridor
According to the Business Record, Urbandale's downtown master plan was approved by the city council in December 2023 and developed with the consulting firm Bolten and Menk. Since the vote, the city has taken further steps on the Douglas Avenue Corridor.
In February, the city council signed off on a branding contract with the Cedar Rapids firm De Novo Marketing to figure out what to even call the district. A separate zoning consultant, Wright Smith Cozino, came on board around the same time to work out what kind of development the current rules will actually allow. Right now the corridor is zoned "neighborhood commercial," which permits only low-density commercial uses along Douglas Avenue. Economic development director Aaron DeJong put it plainly when he told the Business Record the master plan calls for something bigger than what the zoning currently supports.
Branding studies and zoning rewrites are part of the corridor's planning process. As of this summer, the contracts are the news.
Three Miles West, The Gym Already Has A Court You Can Book Tonight
Residents can rent court time at Recreation Station for basketball, indoor soccer, and general practice space for teams and leagues; the facility also has a wellness area. Recreation Superintendent Mollie Wilhite described the building's purpose in a way that's worth sitting with: it reflects how the city thinks about growth and is aimed at supporting both families and workforce attraction.
Right now, in August, it's a place to reserve a court for your kid's Tuesday practice or a Thursday pickup soccer run.
Worth remembering while you're there: Urbandale has more than 50 miles of paved trails for anyone who'd rather take the workout outside once the evenings cool off in September.
Summer Activities Around Urbandale
Urbandale's summer offerings include:
- Free concerts continue through the summer as part of the city's Summer Concert Series, with shows staged at parks including Charles Gabus Memorial Tree Park and Gardens.
- Art on the Trail keeps running at Lakeview Park, where locals paint two-foot-square boards that get displayed around the pond along one of the city's most-used walking and biking loops.
- Walker-Johnston Park stays busy with tennis and pickleball courts, four separate kids' play areas, and a skatepark with two escalated quarter pipes, alongside an observation deck and a storywalk built around a small pond.
- Living History Farms keeps its seasonal programming going across the 500-acre outdoor museum, which spans three working farms and the 1876 town of Walnut Hill, complete with a blacksmith and a broommaker.
The list spans parks, events, and local attractions.
The Food Scene Filling In Around The Edges
Two spots worth knowing if you haven't already found them. Coaches Kolaches, started by former Iowa State football player Brent Curvey, sells Texas-style kolaches in flavors running from strawberry and cream cheese to smoked brisket and jalapeño sausage. And if you're the type who'd rather combine dinner with a bucket of balls, Range Restaurant & Cocktail Bar pairs six PGA-endorsed golf simulators with a menu that includes bison steak tacos and lobster rolls.
Both are among Urbandale's local dining options.
Recent Urbandale Milestones
Recent milestones in Urbandale include:
- December 2023 — City council approves the downtown master plan for the Douglas Avenue Corridor.
- February 2026 — Council awards a branding contract to De Novo Marketing and a zoning contract to Wright Smith Cozino, more than two years after the plan's approval, to develop branding for the corridor and determine what it will legally allow.
- May 2026 — Recreation Station opens with a two-court gym and immediate court rentals.
- July 2026 — Urbandale Lions Park hosts live music from Jordan Beem and Back To Vinyl for the country's 250th Independence Day, and Walker-Johnston Park runs its 60th Annual Fourth of July Fun Run.
The timeline includes redevelopment planning as well as established city events.
What This Means If You Live Here
The Douglas Avenue Corridor remains in the planning and zoning process, while Recreation Station is open for court rentals. Zoning changes and branding rollouts move on a different clock than a gym opening its doors.
Mark your calendar too for Sample Urbandale on September 17, the Chamber's annual event built to showcase local businesses. It's the kind of evening where you'll probably run into the Coaches Kolaches table and the Recreation Station booth in the same room.
Curious what else is changing block by block around town? Tim Lucken REAL keeps a close eye on Urbandale and the rest of the Des Moines metro, and we're always glad to talk shop about the neighborhood over coffee, no appointment necessary.
