Hiland Park Hardware closing its doors; coffee shop planned

Hiland Park Hardware, a staple on the city's north side for nearly 90 years, is closing its doors.

Bill Wheeler, who has owned the business since 1986, plans to keep a portion of the building for a shop that does window and screen repair and makes keys. The rest will be leased to a friend and neighbor, Drew Kelso, who plans to open a coffee shop there.

"While it is sad and very difficult to see the Hardware Store say goodbye, it has been our pleasure to serve the Northside for the past 40 years," Wheeler said in a Facebook post announcing the store's closure.

Hiland Park Hardware opened in 1930 at its current location, 3613 Sixth Ave., in the Highland Park neighborhood. A liquidation sale of its tools, paint and other hardware will start Oct. 24.

Kelso's coffee shop will take up about 1,800 square feet of the historic building. The yet-unnamed store will feature coffee beverages, to-go food and bakery items.

He plans to hire a baker, who will use the kitchen next door at Chuck's Restaurant to produce the coffee shop's baked goods and other food items.

Kelso, who works at Principal Financial Group and has served as the Highland Park Neighborhood Association's president for three years, said he wants to create an intimate meeting and community space in a neighborhood that's working to revitalize its small business district. He will step down as president to focus on his new venture.

"It's a dream I've always had (that) I wanted to do, but I've never seen it as a possibility to break from the corporate world and make that jump," he said. "I would love to see 'shop local' take over in the Sixth Avenue area. I want it to be a neighborhood that reflects our use."

He plans to open the coffee shop in spring 2020.

Kim Norvell covers growth and development for the Register. Reach her at knorvell@dmreg.com or 515-284-8259.

Your subscription makes work like this possible. Subscribe today at DesMoinesRegister.com/Deal.