Heart of America is proposing a five-story office building in Des Moines’ East Village, potentially relocating its Quad Cities-based headquarters to the riverfront area.
Why it matters: The proposal could help activate a prominent yet undeveloped city-owned parcel across from the vacant City Hall as Des Moines seeks to redevelop several former municipal sites.
Driving the news: City Council will consider a resolution today directing the city manager to receive and file the developer-initiated proposal for the site at 401 Robert D. Ray Drive and to negotiate the preliminary terms of a development agreement.
- It would be about 70,000 square feet, with mass timber construction under consideration, according to council documents.
Zoom in:Heart of America Group is a hospitality and real estate company known locally for its restaurants and hotels, including The Iowa Machine Shed, Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse, The Republic on Grand, and Hotel Renovo.
- It would use between 15,000 and 20,000 square feet for its headquarters.
The intrigue:City documents do not project the total cost of the project or the other possible tenants or uses for the rest of the building…