Des Moines' iconic Riccelli's restaurant could be demolished

The former site of Riccelli's Italian Restaurant would be demolished to make room for two new buildings under a proposal before the Des Moines Plan & Zoning Commission Thursday.

Why it matters: The news means a prominent spot along Indianola Avenue could see new life after years of vacancy.

Catch up fast: The iconic restaurant, started in the 1960s by the son of Italian immigrants, closed in 2020 during the pandemic.

• The Riccelli family recently agreed to sell the location, but that sale hasn't closed yet.

State of play: Lillian Riccelli made the rezoning request, but the family didn't realize the prospective buyers' plans included demolition of the former restaurant, Terry Riccelli, her son, told Axios Monday.

• Junior Ibarra, the real estate agent for the buyers, did not respond to Axios' inquiries Monday.

Driving the news: Two parcels across almost 1.3 acres would be rezoned for the new project.

• One building would be for commercial use.
• The other would have at least two floors with commercial space and apartments above, according to documents submitted to the city.

The intrigue: The new owners, who have not been identified, planned to convert the building into a beauty salon, the Riccellis' real estate agent Sue Randleman told Axios in April.

Yes, but: Drawings submitted to the Plan & Zoning Commission show a salon in one of the new buildings.

What's next: An expected zoning commission recommendation could receive final approval from City Council in the coming weeks.