The Fifth and Walnut parking garage will be available to tenants in the 515 Walnut Tower once the high-rise development is complete. Occupancy at city of Des Moines parking garages has risen in recent years but remains below pre-pandemic levels. Photo by Duane Tinkey
As the city of Des Moines’ parking revenue continues to recover following the COVID-19 pandemic, occupancy at city-owned parking garages remains below pre-pandemic levels, city budget documents show.
And, with those lower rates of occupancy, there is plenty of space to accommodate the influx of new workers — and residents — in the Central Business District, city leaders said.
Revenue from on-street parking will account for nearly half of all the city of Des Moines’ parking revenue, totaling more than $4.5 million for fiscal year 2027, according to a city budget document.
By comparison, revenue collected from the seven city-owned parking garages could total just over $5 million in fiscal year 2027.
And while on-street parking revenue has continued an upward trajectory since 2023, city records show revenue from city-owned parking garages has remained stagnant and even declined during that time.
Parking revenue has rebounded since the pandemic, when records showed the city was expected to lose more than $1 million in its parking program as offices shut down and employees worked from home. The city uses parking revenue to fund parking system improvements.
With the influx of new workers downtown, such as American Equity and the city of Des Moines moving from the historic city hall to 1200 Locust St., and the continued development of residential units downtown, Des Moines Assistant City Manager Matt Anderson said there is plenty of space to handle the increased demand for downtown parking.
“We have ample capacity, that’s not a concern at all for supporting more residential development,” Anderson said.
According to city budget documents, there are 6,092 parking spaces in the city-owned parking ramps. There are more than 3,500 on-street parking spaces.
Private parking garages and surface lots are not included in those numbers.
City documents show that occupancy at city-owned parking garages was at 64% in 2019, but plummeted to 23% in 2021. Occupancy at city garages has steadily risen and was at 44% in fiscal year 2025, the latest year data was available.
With parking garages remaining at half capacity, that leaves room for additional downtown workers and residents.
Anderson said the city has an agreement with the developer on the 33-story 515 Walnut Tower project that sets aside a number of parking spots for tenants in the Fifth and Walnut parking garage, which has 625 spaces. City officials say the spaces occupied in the garage fluctuates based on daily and hourly parkers. In June, the city billed 199 monthly parkers.
The tower, once done, will feature 390 units.
The developer behind the project, Joe Teeling, did not respond to a request for comment.
The owner of another development, Mezzo on Walnut apartments, housed in Des Moines’ Financial Center at 606 Walnut St., has underground parking at the center and owns their own parking garages elsewhere, Anderson said.
Mezzo on Walnut transformed 18 of the building’s 25 floors into 209 apartment homes.
“It depends project to project,” Anderson said of parking accommodations.
He said in some cases, parking spaces in some garages might be double-booked, allowing for evening and weekend parking for tenants, while accommodating downtown employee parking during the weekdays.
“In a lot of apartments, residents are on their own,” Anderson said. “If a building owner doesn’t have a surface lot nearby, it’s kind of open business at the city garages or some of the privately owned garages.”
