ALTOONA, IOWA — Ann Taylor Factory Store has opened at the Outlets of Des Moines in Altoona. The store marks the first Ann Taylor Factory Store in the state of Iowa. The 4,000-square-foot store offers a wide selection of dresses, suits, separates and casual wear in regular and petite sizes as well as shoes and accessories. Outlets of Des Moines is home to retailers such as Coach Outlet, Nike Factory Store, J. Crew Factory, Under Armour Factory House, Levi’s Outlet Store, American Eagle and Victoria’s Secret.
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA — Meridian Design Build has completed construction of a 479,000-square-foot industrial build-to-suit in Cedar Rapids. Scannell Properties developed the project on behalf of a provider of global shipping and information services. Located at 1035 Commerce Park Drive SW, the building features 190 loading docks, 12 drive-in doors, 168 interior van loading positions and 31,977 square feet of office space. Meridian completed significant site improvements to accommodate a 660-car parking lot, 189 van staging spaces, 130 tractor parking spaces and a 330-stall trailer storage yard. Cornerstone Architects provided architectural design services, and Manhard Consulting handled the civil engineering design.
WAUKEE, IOWA — GreenLake Asset Management LLC has provided a $35.3 million construction loan for KeeTown Loop, a 40-acre master-planned entertainment district in Waukee, a western suburb of Des Moines. The project will be anchored by a 3,500-seat Live Nation concert venue. Additional plans call for an 88-unit apartment complex and two hotels: Aloft Hotel by Marriott and Home2 Suites by Hilton. There will also be 22,000 square feet of office space and 51,000 square feet of retail space. Spaces for Starbucks and McDonald’s are currently under construction. Future plans call for additional restaurants, a microbrewery and a variety of other retail concepts. GreenLake’s funding will enable the borrower to complete construction of the Live Nation venue and to purchase the land to be used for parking.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Columbus-based Woda Cooper Cos. Inc. has received Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) financing for the development of five new affordable housing communities in North Carolina, Michigan, Iowa, Virginia and Illinois. The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency allocated $1.2 million for Pender Crossing, a 48-unit community to be built in Wilson, N.C. Plans call for three walkup buildings with amenities such as a fitness center, computer room, playground and covered pavilion. Raleigh-based TightLines Designs is the architect. In Marquette, Mich., Woda Cooper will partner with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community to develop Black Rock Crossing, a 50-unit general occupancy multifamily development. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority allocated $1.4 million in tax credits for the project. Grand Rapids-based PCI Design Group is the architect. Construction is expected to begin in April. The Iowa Finance Authority awarded $1.1 million in LIHTC financing for Alley Landing, a 40-unit project in Des Moines. The community will include eight Permanent Supportive Housing homes for veteran households experiencing homelessness. Hooker DeJong is the architect. Virginia Housing allocated $1.4 million in tax credits for Bains Pointe, a 50-unit development in Portsmouth, Va., named after Eliza Bains who was instrumental in helping slaves gain freedom …
IOWA, NEBRASKA AND KANSAS — Tutera Senior Living & Health Care has acquired 10 communities in Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas, expanding the family-owned company’s footprint by more than 20 percent. The purchase price was undisclosed. The properties total 443 assisted living, memory care and residential care units with an average of 44 units each. Tutera is retaining all employees at the newly added communities to ensure continuity of care for residents. The properties include: Pinicon Place Senior Living in Anamosa, Iowa; Rolling Meadows Senior Living in Carroll, Iowa; Eiler Place Senior Living in Clarinda, Iowa; Amelia Senior Living in Council Bluffs, Iowa; Floyd Place Senior Living in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa; Cottonwood Place Senior Living in Columbus, Neb.; Pathfinder Place Senior Living in Fremont, Neb.; Morton Senior Living in Nebraska City, Neb.; Greene Senior Living in Seward, Neb.; and Abilene Place Senior Living in Abilene, Kan.
PLEASANT HILL, IOWA — Colliers Mortgage has provided a $4.9 million Fannie Mae loan for the acquisition of Riverwood Apartments in Pleasant Hill, an eastern suburb of Des Moines. The 69-unit multifamily property features one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. Brett Olson and Matt Halberg of Colliers originated the 10-year loan on behalf of the undisclosed borrower.
ALTOONA, IOWA — Sealy & Co. has acquired the newly constructed Altus Commerce Center in Altoona, a northeast suburb of Des Moines. The purchase price was undisclosed. The industrial facility totals 265,700 square feet and features a clear height of 32 feet, 135-foot truck court, 26 dock-high doors and two drive-in doors. Jason Gandy and Davis Gibbs of Sealy led the transaction. Mark Long and John Hassler of Newmark represented the seller, VanTrust Real Estate. In honor of VanTrust, Sealy is making a significant contribution to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation to commemorate the transaction.
By Scott Olson, Skogman Commercial Despite a derecho, a pandemic, inflation, supply chain issues and a possible recession, Cedar Rapids continues its rapid growth as evidenced by the ranking by “American Growth Project 2023” as a top 15 fastest-growing mid-size U.S. city. But, its other national rankings are just as impressive: • 23rd-Best Run City in U.S. (wallethub.com, 2023) • Top 100 Best Places to Live in America (Livability, 2023) • 23rd-Best Place to Raise a Family (wallethub.com, 2023) • 13th-Best City to Buy a House (niche.com, 2023) • Ranked No. 21 of Cities with Lowest Cost of Living (Business Insider, 2023) • A Cleanest U.S. City by Short-Term Particle Pollution (American Lung Association, 2023) • Two Nationally Ranked Medical Centers: St. Luke’s Hospital and Mercy Medical Center (PINC Al/Fortune and Newsweek, 2023) • Top 50 Best City for Jobs in America (wallethub.com, 2023) • No. 22 Safest City in America (wallethub.com, 2022) • Best Tasting Drinking Water in Iowa (Iowa Section, American Water Works 2022) In addition to these rankings, Cedar Rapids is also continuing to make major progress on recovery from previous national disasters: • 2008/2016 historic floods are resulting in the $750 million flood control system making …
WEST BURLINGTON, IOWA — An affiliate of Phoenix Investors has acquired a 365,640-square-foot industrial building in West Burlington, a city in Southwest Iowa. Constructed in 1955 with additions in 1964, 1966, 1980 and 1993, the building is located at 510 E. Agency Road. The Burlington Junction Railroad connects the property to the BNSF mainline about 1.5 miles north. The facility also features a variety of cranes. The sales price and seller were undisclosed.
URBANDALE, IOWA — WorldWide Logistics has opened its new 76,000-square-foot headquarters in Urbandale, a northwest suburb of Des Moines. The two-story building provides office space for corporate and customer service center teams that were previously housed in three separate buildings in Urbandale. Amenities include a café, collaborative areas, markets, outdoor patio and quarter-mile walking path. Established in 1999, WorldWide Logistics is a third-party logistics company. The Opus Group served as the design-builder, interior designer, architect and structural engineer.