New 32 story residential tower, 9 screen theater proposed for downtown Des Moines
- Thread starter alarson
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I agree with most of your points besides the parking ramp. In demand at select times during large events, maybe. But I'm not convinced that's the most efficient and highest use of downtown space. Parking is ample compared to most downtowns.
Fully agree with this. How many freaking parking garages does a mid sized midwestern city need? Make some underground garages.
I once walked like 4.5 miles from theMexican border to the amphitheater in Chula Vista to avoid paying $25 for parking.
JFC, Gunner. Your ideas for DT would be what DSM would look like had George Bailey never been born.
I don't know what that means but I assume "awesome". I just don't get why everything has to be dork dad focused. Make some stuff for the cool kids and bro dads. THink of the memories that could be made on any given Saturday night.
You're preaching to the choir about parking...I'm just accepting that the masses aren't there yet. That said, even Blackbird recognizes that eventual excess of parking and are proposing to build their ramp in a way that eventually some of the parking can be converted to other uses down the line.
Exactly.
If it was as easy as erecting a building downtown, it would have been done already.
I guess I don't see the issue with when it is done. I'd rather have a great building then have something right away. The incentives is probably a big thing, but I really think the other project is that much better. The article didn't talk about an intersection and skywalk when I read it.
I guess my issue is that while it is great to see residential properties going in down there, you also have to have stuff to occupy them. That's why I think that the HyVee is such a big deal. You can actually live and shop downtown. I don't think that Des Moines can handle two basically residential only towers at once. That is why you need to include something else to make it so it can be successful.
Didn't read the past posts to much, but does anyone know the actual heights of the 2 new buildings going up?
At the Younkers site, it will be 33 stories, estimated height is about 370 ft. That would make it the 3rd tallest building behind the 460 ft Ruan Center and the 630 ft 801 Grand. The Blackbird Project at 5th and Walnut should to be close to 400 ft. When or if it gets completed it would take the place of the tower at the Younkers site as the 3rd tallest. For Reference the Marriott is 365 ft, the Financial Center is 345 ft, the EMC Building 345 ft, and Plaza is 325 ft.
There is additional detail in this letter the developer posted on the urbandsm forum. It addresses some of these additional details. Also, while both towers are residential, they would be targeting two different markets. Here some details from developer:
Source: https://www.urbandsm.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=138681#p138681
Took my 5 year old there because what better way to wear a kid out on a rainy day than skywalks....was sad to see 75% of store space vacant. It's too bad really because it's a good location and a good concept.
And FWIW, I'm for whatever proposal is actually going to happen. Des Moines has done a ton to its downtown in the last 10 years, but we haven't seen a sky scraper go up since the late 90s...would be neat to pump some new blood into the skyline.
Checked out the new Hy-Vee downtown today as well. Pretty cool just don't go with a big list.
Checked out the new Hy-Vee downtown today as well. Pretty cool just don't go with a big list.
Des Moines had a couple of opportunities for perhaps more skyscrapers. Nationwide put over a million feet of new office space downtown. Unfortunately they didn't go vertical with it. Wells Fargo has well over a million feet at Jordan Creek, to bad they didn't choose downtown. With all of the momentum and activity downtown I wonder if they would make that same decision today? Ruan proposed a 65 story world trade center in 1991. I think he had about 50 Ag. companies interested in space in that building. There are rumors of companies looking for class A office space downtown both from the within the metro and out of town, so there is a chance we may see another tower in the next few years.
Original developer not going away quietly.
Article: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...tle-new-images-and-last-minute-plea/99731210/
Article: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...tle-new-images-and-last-minute-plea/99731210/
I still think this project is infinitely better, just by the building. It would take to much time to get into the finances, but even if it costs the city more I think the long term benefits outweigh the short term costs.Original developer not going away quietly.
Article: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...tle-new-images-and-last-minute-plea/99731210/
Looks like Blackbird is pulling its proposal. Maybe got feedback from the council that they were going to go with the original Mandelbaum plan.
http://businessrecord.com/Content/D...n-for-5th-and-Walnut-development/-3/248/77257
Time to deliver now, Mandelbaum.
http://businessrecord.com/Content/D...n-for-5th-and-Walnut-development/-3/248/77257
Time to deliver now, Mandelbaum.
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Hopefully this energizes Blackbird to do another tower project by 2020. The co-op housing would have been interesting to follow and see if that works in DSM
Indeed. If there truly is a market there for that Coop, hopefully Blackbird pushes it at another site.
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