December 31, 2011 – We pride ourselves on the work we’ve done across the United States, but have a soft spot for the growth and success of our headquarters of Des Moines, Iowa. The Greater Des Moines Partnership has compiled a growing list of “top-ten” rankings greater Des Moines has achieved in 2010 and 2011. These rankings speak to decades of hard work put in to building up the infrastructure, arts, cultural amenities, and real estate in the region. We’re proud to have contributed to the redevelopment of various downtown Des Moines buildings and worked on several projects in the surrounding greater Des Moines area. We look forward to 2012 and hope to be a part of the continued growth and momentum of Des Moines.

Nelson Development and Foutch Brothers are redeveloping the Des Moines Building, one of our city’s most prominent historical office buildings, into 136 apartments with additional office, retail, and restaurant space. Unique features of the building, when complete, will include an adjacent pocket park, ground-level access to the city skywalk system, and a 360 degree roof deck for use by the residents and public. In the heart of the newly acclaimed “Silicon Sixth Avenue”, the Des Moines Building looks to be the next addition to a street under transformation and a city on the move.

September 8, 2011 – The Center on Sustainable Communities held a luncheon today to discuss sustainable commercial development. It was our pleasure to have Mike Nelson, President of Nelson Construction, speak on the insights gained from working on numerous downtown revitalization projects and the changing nature of commercial development. The event was well attended and also included a great presentation from Larry James Jr. of Hogan Law Office, discussing legal issues involved in the use of historic tax credits. The audience had a great list of questions and we want to thank COSC and the Greater Des Moines Partnership for allowing us the opportunity to be a part of this event.

July 12, 2011  - We are excited to announce that the City Council of Des Moines has agreed to sell Nelson Foutch Joint Ventures the historic Des Moines Building at 405 Sixth Avenue, in downtown Des Moines. This building is a key piece of downtown Des Moines’ redevelopment and will simultaneously increase the number of urban rental units while decreasing vacant office space inventory. Further details are included in the Des Moines Register’s summary of the project.

Plans for the building include 145 market-rate apartment units, two floors of commercial space, and creation of a “pocket park” to highlight a new restaurant and outdoor projection and sculpture area (pictured at left).

Nelson Foutch Development is honored to have been selected by the City Council of Des Moines to breathe new life into this great structure. We would also like to thank City staff and all those involved in the proposal process for their time and effort.

Be sure to visit our site again for update renderings, project developments, and news regarding this project.

Nelson Development has converted portions of the historic Liberty Building in downtown Des Moines to a Hyatt Place Hotel. The hotel features 95 rooms and is open for business. This downtown Des Moines location is Hyatt Place’s first in the State of Iowa.

This inclusion of the Hyatt Place Hotel at the Liberty Building closes the final chapter of the redevelopment of the historic site. A true mixed-use building, the Liberty Building now boasts office, condo, retail and hotel uses. The Hyatt Place hotel also offers guests an array of services inclusive of bar, lounge and dining facilities, E-Room, conference areas, exercise room and pool facilities. Th Hotel site is connected via a skywalk system to a newly built 5-story parking ramp. Nelson Construction Services role on the Hyatt Place is as the design build general contractor on this project.

e300 is a mixed-use building in downtown Des Moines focused on sustainability and smart building design. This project features restaurant and retail space on the ground level and residential apartments above. Featuring a variety of sizes, apartments are offered as studio, one bedroom, and two bedroom spaces (approx. 400 – 1000 square feet). Also, each residence features a private exterior balcony, well appointed storage, custom kitchens, and in-residence laundry.

At the core of e300 Grand’s innovative design is its geothermal system – one of the largest residential systems ever installed in Iowa. The system, which features several 400-foot deep underground loops filled with environmentally safe antifreeze, provide all the heating, cooling, and hot water needs for the building’s 79 residential units.

Located in the heart of the East Village, e300 will address a growing trend in downtown living, while showcasing fantastic views of the capitol and downtown. Some of the many building amenities inculde a rooftop fitness center with floor to ceiling glass, a rooftop patio, and access to a communicty room. e300 is the perfect location to call home and enjoy all the amenities of city living.