By Shane Goodman shane@dmcityview.com

Behind the music

Plans for a unique concert venue have been stymied; foul play alleged

I once dreamed of converting an empty brewery building in Adel into a three-story newspaper office for a growing publishing company I managed in Dallas County. The building had more room than we needed, so I also intended to lease space to tenants. I hired an architect to design plans, had a contractor create estimates and even talked with potential tenants. The plan fell through, but others shared the passion I had for this historic building. The architect I worked with called me to ask if he could share the drawings with a potential investor. I agreed, and today that building houses Adel City Hall and is located next to a newly constructed library, creating a beautiful campus for the city. Everyone there is better for it.

I recalled this situation as I read Michael Swanger’s cover story this week. He writes about the passion of Ryan Lebo, an ambitious young man with a dream of building a unique concert venue in Des Moines. Lebo hired RDG, an architectural firm in Des Moines, to design the lofty plans, but this is where his story differs from mine. Lebo did not give up on his plan and now alleges that the architectural drawings he paid for were leaked by architect Thomas Wright of RDG to Jason Walsmith, who has since announced plans to launch a similar venture. Lebo feels this small circle of friends influenced the city and its music advisory committee to keep his idea out of town. Those close to the allegations disagree, but this story has so many tentacles reaching out between cities, live music and tax issues, that one can’t help but be drawn in, whether you have interest in live music or not.

Thanks for reading.

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