A nonprofit vocational school for troubled men is getting a new home: a large-scale “urbanist” campus with apartments, retail space, gardens and a training facility a mile south of Des Moines International Airport.
A self-described “therapeutic community,” Harvest Academy provides housing and job training for men experiencing homelessness or who are struggling to move beyond addiction or criminal offenses. Currently located in Indianola, the academy ― supported by its own moving company, Harvest Academy Movers ― had been looking to get a fresh start in Des Moines with more space for its growing enrollment.
The project’s zoning requests received unanimous approval from the Des Moines City Council. The mixed-used campus, projected to cost $6.5 million and take five years to construct, will occupy an 18-acre lot near the intersection of Fleur Drive and County Line Road.
