News from Downtown
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START OF RIVERWALK BROWNSTONES LAUNCHES
SECOND PHASE OF DOWNTOWN RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY
Hubbell Realty is launching construction of a second group of downtown brownstone homes in a development that already includes the Brownstones on Grand, a company executive said today.
Steve Niebuhr, Hubbell Realty Co. senior vice president of construction and development, said earthwork is already underway for the first of four four-home buildings to be named the Riverwalk Brownstones between Second and Third streets at Powell Way. The homes, which will be smaller than the Brownstones on Grand and offer a lower price range, will have the brick and exterior design of traditional urban brownstones.
“We had tremendous success with the Midtown Heights community at MLK and High Street because it combined urban living with an attractive price point. That’s what you’ll see with the Riverwalk Brownstones,” Niebuhr said. “They’ll be a little over 1,400 square feet and their price range will be from $193,900 to $198,900. They’ll complement the Brownstones on Grand so potential downtown residents have a real range of options.”
The two-story Riverwalk Brownstones are the only downtown properties to offer two- or three-bedroom brownstones and two-car attached garages. The brownstones have the equivalent of a 10-year tax abatement, a feature that was also a strong attraction for Midtown Heights buyers.
“The tax abatement allows buyers to get more for less,” Niebuhr said. “In this case, when potential buyers run through the numbers, they’ll see the abatement will make the cost of a Riverwalk Brownstone equal to a row home or townhome in the suburbs.”
“Brownstone residents who work downtown can walk to the office and all the activities going on and they also have easy access to I-235 if they work in the western suburbs and take the ‘reverse commute’ to work,” Niebuhr said.
Hubbell Realty has been a staple in the Des Moines real estate market for over 150 years. Its superior craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail has established its reputation for excellence and value. Buildings that Hubbell has constructed for over a century remain prominent throughout the Des Moines metro today.
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DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY ALLIANCE NAMES NEW PRESIDENT
Glenn Lyons TO LEAD DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT
Downtown Community Alliance Co-Chairs Mary O’Keefe and John
Ruan III join Greater Des Moines Partnership CEO Martha Willits in announcing that Glenn Lyons has accepted the position of President of the Downtown Community Alliance. Lyons is currently Executive Director of the Downtown Development Corporation for Tucson, AZ. He was selected from a large and talented field by a search committee of the Downtown Community Alliance Board of Directors. He will begin leading downtown development in Des Moines on May 17, 2010.
“Glenn has thirty years of experience in downtown work,” said Mary O’Keefe of The Principal Financial Group. “That experience covers the gamut from a downtown association, public and private sectors as well as academia. His qualifications far surpass what the search committee defined as an acceptable candidate. He is exactly the candidate we hoped to find.”
While working in Tucson, Glenn Lyons was credited with developing the community’s first private-sector initiated downtown revitalization plan, including pedestrian street improvements and historic preservation projects. Prior to that he was a principal with Lyons, Venini and Associates, Ltd.; an urban, corporate and strategic planning consulting firm; and a partner with Newell Group, a property tax consulting firm that worked with groups in Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Winnipeg, Canada. During the late 1970’s through the mid 1990’s, Lyons worked with the City of Calgary in the Planning and Building Department and later as the Executive Director of Calgary’s Downtown Association.
Lyons was credited with the success of Calgary’s revitalization strategy and crime prevention plans. During this period, he also served as an Adjunct Professor of Planning for the University of Calgary and a seasonal instructor on entrepreneurship with Mount Royal College. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Lyons received his Bachelors of Arts in Urban Studies from the University of Windsor, his Masters of Environmental Design and his Masters of Business Administration from the University of Calgary.
“I am very excited about the prospect of moving to Des Moines and continuing the good work of the Downtown Community Alliance,” said Lyons. “Downtown Des Moines is an amazing asset and I am committed to doing my part to make it the best Downtown in America.”
The Downtown Community Alliance is a non-profit organization in association with the Greater Des Moines Partnership, with a mission to achieve a shared vision for the future of downtown Des Moines through leadership, advocacy and partnership. Programs include business, residential and economic development, event management, marketing and promotion and Operation Downtown, an initiative to keep downtown clean, safe and beautiful.
Media inquiries should be directed to Amy Baker, (515) 286-4919 or abaker@downtowndesmoines.com
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