New 32 story residential tower, 9 screen theater proposed for downtown Des Moines

[capitalcityguy]

What the heck...let's throw in another tower while we are at it. 29 floor highrise proposed:

Blackbird proposes 29-story residential tower for former Younkers site

BY KENT DARR, Senior Staff Writer

Tuesday, May 24, 2016 2:23 PM

Blackbird Investments plans a 29-story mixed-use building in a vacant site once occupied by Younkers department store in downtown Des Moines.

The building would include 220 residential units that would include market-rate rental apartments and for-sale units. In addition, it would have 7,000 square feet of ground-floor retail fronting Walnut, a spokesman for the investment and development group said.
The firm also is considering a 150-room full-service hotel in the building and is negotiating with possible flags.
Blackbird currently is renovating what is now called the Wilkins Building on the west side of the Younkers lot.

At 29 stories, the structure would be the second-tallest residential tower in Des Moines. Mandelbaum Properties has proposed a 32-story mixed-use building at the site of the parking ramp at Fifth Avenue between Court Avenue and Walnut Street. The Plaza Building has 25 stories.
The Blackbird Investments project would include two floors of penthouse suites.
Approximately 75 percent of the exterior would be clad in glass.

At the Wilkins Building, the original structure at the former Younkers site, Blackbird has

Read more: http://businessrecord.com/Content/Default/-All-Latest-News/Article/Blackbird-proposes-29-story-residential-tower-for-former-Younkers-site/-3/248/73306


A little surprising, NY Times reporting on this too: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/25/realestate/commercial/a-fire-ravaged-des-moines-landmark-may-rise-from-its-ashes.html?_r=0

 

[capitalcityguy]

The Register appears to have obtained some renderings for the 29 story building announced yesterday...

Drawings of proposed 29-story tower released
Joel Aschbrenner, [email protected]2:02 p.m. CDT May 25, 2016

Developers planning to build a 29-story tower at the site of the former Younkers building in downtown Des Moines have released drawings of the building.

The drawings, produced by Des Moines-based Neumann Monson Architects, show a high-rise with large, rectangular windows rising from the corner of Seventh and Walnut Streets. The proposed building would be constructed of concrete and steel. Seventy-five percent of the exterior would be covered in glass. The top two floors would feature penthouse condos with terraces.

Local development firm Blackbird Investments announced plans for the $60 million tower Tuesday. Blackbird partner Justin Doyle said the building would be a mix of apartments, condos and hotel rooms with some retail space on the street level.

Blackbird aims to start construction in the fall.

LINK:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...gs-proposed-29-story-tower-released/84902450/

 

[Buster28]

That would be great if they both get built! Been way too long since Des Moines had anything significant added to the skyline.

 

[jmb]

Does the lack of congestion in the metro effect development patterns? Sure, but I don't know anyone that is aware even casually of Des Moines calling development "slow". Right now downtown is experiencing unprecended growth. The amount of project in progress, set to start this year, and in the pipeline are almost mind boggling IMO.

Here is a great rundown of every serious proposed building project going on in downtown at the moment:

Based on your comment, I think you're in for a bit of a surprise:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=211178

The YMCA project stalling leaves an unflattering void in that area.

 

[HandSanitizer]

Am I the only one that thinks...if you are building something that tall you should go the extra few floors and be the 2nd tallest bulding in DM?

There seems to be a rush to live downtown I guess.

 

[JP4CY]

At 29 stories, the structure would be the second-tallest residential tower in Des Moines. Mandelbaum Properties has proposed a 32-story mixed-use building at the site of the parking ramp at Fifth Avenue between Court Avenue and Walnut Street. The Plaza Building has 25 stories.

 

[3GenClone]

At 29 stories, the structure would be the second-tallest residential tower in Des Moines. Mandelbaum Properties has proposed a 32-story mixed-use building at the site of the parking ramp at Fifth Avenue between Court Avenue and Walnut Street.

Mandelbaum! Mandelbaum! Mandelbaum!

Edit: Damn it, JP! And a pox on there being only 1 Izzy Mandelbaum gif!

 

[capitalcityguy]

Grabbed this little factoid from "DMRyan" on the skyscraper forum:

And (the 29 story tower) joins current proposals for a 32 story, 15 story, and 13+ story buildings previously proposed around downtown. Nothing over 12 stories has been built since 2007 and nothing over 300 feet has been built since 1997 in this fine midwest burg, so we're overdue!

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=211178

 

[JP4CY]

Edit: Damn it, JP! And a pox on there being only 1 Izzy Mandelbaum gif!

 

[capitalcityguy]

Register article on the two "competing" proposed towers:

[h=1]Tower developers say it's not a competition[/h] Joel Aschbrenner, [email protected]12:06 p.m. CDT June 10, 2016
[h=2]But who can resist comparing the two projects?[/h]

(Photo: Neumann Monson Architects/Special to The Register)


The two development groups planning to build separate apartment towers in downtown Des Moines are eager to make one point clear: It’s not a competition.
“I don’t want this thing to turn into an arms race,” said Justin Doyle, a partner in Des Moines-based Blackbird Investments.
Blackbird made headlines last month when the firmannounced plans to build a 29-story, $60 million tower at the site of the former Younkers department store. Its plans call for apartments, condos, a hotel and retail space.
That came several months after West Des Moines-based Mandelbaum Propertiesproposed a 32-story apartment building called The Fifth. The tower at Fifth Avenue and Walnut Street would include apartments, a parking garage, a movie theater and a climbing gym.
It’s been two decades since a building standing more than 20 stories tall was...


[h=1][/h]

Link to full article:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...er-developers-say-s-not-competition/85340070/

 

[capitalcityguy]

Here is the latest on "The Fifth" which is the highrise near Court Ave on Walnut St that include a movie theater. Looks like they've added a hotel which I'm assuming helps make the banks more comfortable...

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...-hotel-nixes-climbing-gym-jazz-club/97546500/

 

[Gunnerclone]

Here is the latest on "The Fifth" which is the highrise near Court Ave on Walnut St that include a movie theater. Looks like they've added a hotel which I'm assuming helps make the banks more comfortable...

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...-hotel-nixes-climbing-gym-jazz-club/97546500/

No Jazz club? Denied.

 

[JP4CY]

Isn't the ramp that's currently there used for the farmers market? So what happens with that parking opportunity?

 

[dmclone]

I really don't know how parking isn't going to suck for a few years downtown.

 

[alarson]

I really don't know how parking isn't going to suck for a few years downtown.

This was likely to happen anyway. Anyone who'd been in that 5th and walnut ramp could see it was falling apart. Seems like that ugly thing wouldve needed to close for awhile for repairs or come down for rebuilding one way or another.

Just means walking a bit farther i guess.

 

[Buster28]

Good to hear news on this. I had been wondering the status, but never was able to find any new information. Can't wait to see this rise on the skyline over the next couple of years.

 

[capitalcityguy]

Isn't the ramp that's currently there used for the farmers market? So what happens with that parking opportunity?

The ramp is/was in really rough shape. I'm pretty sure at least a level or two has been blocked off and unusable now for a couple years. I consider the main ramp for Farmer's Mkt to be the one one 3rd and Court. There is also the huge ramp on approx 4th and Grand too (only 3 block walk).

That said, it has probably been 10 yrs since I've used a ramp when going to the farmer's market...and we go several Saturdays a season. As long as you're willing to walk a few blocks, you can always find parking. People will just have to adjust where they go. There continues to be an ocean of surface parking to the south and west of the Court Avenue area.

I think there could be a pretty good gig in being a bike taxi during Farmer's Market. You see them around for other big events..including ISU games to run people between Vet Med and Jack Trice. Just run between parking lots at Principal Park and Court Ave....I bet you could keep pretty busy.

 

[capitalcityguy]

Wow...busy week in tower news!

Here is latest on the other proposed tower . Now 33 stories! That said, one has to remain cautiously optimistic until you see steel rising from the ground. Too many things can go wrong in trying to get these massive projects financed and built...

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...g-tower-33-stories-dumping-investor/97641212/

 

[capitalcityguy]

Wow...busy week in tower news!

Here is latest on the other proposed tower . Now 33 stories! That said, one has to remain cautiously optimistic until you see steel rising from the ground. Too many things can go wrong in trying to get these massive projects financed and built...

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...g-tower-33-stories-dumping-investor/97641212/

Rendering:

 

[delt4cy]

Institutional level money backing out is not good news. Based on that article, I highly doubt that this tower is ever more than that rendering unfortunately. If it is, I can guarantee they won't achieve rents to make the construction costs pencil. Just my two cents.