Des Moines Town Center is the business district of Des Moines, Iowa and the Greater Des Moines Metropolitan Area. Downtown Des Moines is defined by the City of Des Moines located between the Des Moines River in the east, the Raccoon River to the south, Center Street to the north, and the 18th and 15th Streets to the west.
In 2014, Downtown Des Moines is listed as one of the top 5 city centers being built by Fortune.com.
Video Downtown Des Moines
Demographics
Population
At the Census 2010, Downtown Des Moines, including the East Village, has a population of 5,431 with a total of 3,667 housing units, with 3,085 people occupied.
Race
According to the 2010 Census, 70.1% of the population was white; 20.8% are Black or African American; 4.7% are Asian; 1.9% are American Indians or Alaskan Native; 0.2% are natives of Hawaii or other Pacific islands; and 5.7% reported Others. Of this percentage, 10.6% reported as white also reported Hispanic or Latino ancestry. The average household size is 1.58 members per household while the average family size is 2.83 members per family.
Maps Downtown Des Moines
Economy
Downtown Des Moines has several corporate campuses, with Principal Financial Group's global headquarters calling downtown. Other big companies and downtown entrepreneurs include Wellmark, Nationwide, Meredith Corporation, Voya, Wells Fargo, Banker Trust, Ruan Transportation, and EMC Insurance Company. Many of these companies have invested heavily into the city center by building large and impressive corporate campuses. The most prominent is the 801 Grand and the surrounding campus of the Principal Financial Group, which is currently undergoing a $ 397 million renovation.
Transportation
Downtown Des Moines is connected to I-235, which runs through the northern part of downtown and connects downtown to I-80 and I-35. Other major highways connecting downtown to other parts of the city are Fleur Drive, Martin Luther King, Jr Parkway, and Keosauqua Way. The main streets of downtown are Locust Street, Grand Ave, and Court Ave.
Downtown Des Moines is served by the Des Moines metro transportation authority, Des Moines Regional Transit Area (DART). DART has several routes serving the city center, including a sophisticated LEED certified transit station known as DART Central Station. In addition, DART operates a free downtown shuttle on Route 42 known as D-Line Shuttle. This shuttle runs from the Iowa State Capitol stairs to Pappajohn Sculpture Park.
In addition, Des Moines is served by various taxi companies. In 2014, Uber's popular travel sharing service was introduced, much to the dismay of the Des Moines City Council. Many members of the city council believe that Uber should follow local taxi regulations while others believe the service should operate as an app rather than a taxi service.
One of the unique aspects of the Des Moines transport is the extensive skywalk network that connects the buildings in the city center. The skywalk network is over four miles long and reaches as far as Wells Fargo Arena. Most skywalk systems are air-conditioned and have automatic doors. The extended hour keeps the skywalk open until late at night and in the morning. The City has sought to connect the skywalk system to the sidewalk better, resulting in many stairs and elevators accessing the sidewalks throughout the system. The city also created an extensive directory system to help travelers explore the system.
Environment and district
Downtown Des Moines has many unique and vibrant districts that each have their own style and culture. Downtown is also experiencing a revival that is rapidly changing the retail and physical landscape of Des Moines.
While the area of ​​Downtown Des Moines is defined as the area between Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers and 15th, 18th, and Center Streets, the city center includes an environment that extends down to I-235 to the north and Martin Luther King, Jr Parkway to the west, and SE 14th Street in the east. With these limits, many new districts and neighborhoods are included.
Historic Eastern Village
The Historic East Village is located east of the Des Moines River and west of the Iowa State Capitol. This district was once a collection of rundown and broken buildings that are scheduled to be torn down. However, in 2000, a group of business leaders and concerned community members stepped in and started the transformation of the East Village for decades.
Today, the East Village is a bustling district with fancy restaurants, unique retail destinations, antique shops, and many bars and clubs. The Des Moines gay bar collection is also located within the East Village. Inside the East Village, one can find many nationally recognized renowned restaurants, such as Zombie Burger and Drink Lab. Many buildings in the East Village are included in the National Register of Historic Places. Due to recent renaissance and the transition to a trendy and easily explored environment, many young professionals flocked to the area. This helps contribute to the vibrant district atmosphere.
Civic Center Historic District
The Civic Center Historic District sits on both sides of the Des Moines River and the Raccoon River and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district is characterized by several public works buildings that reflect the Beaux-Arts style as well as the ornaments of the City of Indah, sidewalks, bridges and lighting along the Des Moines River. Many buildings within the district were built between 1900 and 1928. The district still retains much of the early era of the 1900s.
Court Avenue District
The Court Avenue District is a lively bar and restaurant in downtown Des Moines. The district is located along Court Avenue and is bordered by the Des Moines River in the East and the Polk Courthouse to the west. The district is famous for its exceptional nightlife and many bars and restaurants and its streets adorned with lanterns, planters and period-style commercials. Street ads painted on the sidewalks are unique to the area. Also the oldest neighborhood in Des Moines, many unique and historic buildings.
Throughout the summer, Court Avenue District is also home to the nationally recognized Des Moines Farmers Market. The market boasts over 300 vendors and is free and open to the public. In addition, Des Moines Bicycle Collective offers free valet parking for bicycles, which is a unique feature of the Des Moines Farmers Market.
Western Gateway
The downtown Western Gateway area is a rehabilitated modern district marked by a stunning multi-million dollar sculpture park and several glittering corporate campuses. The Western Gateway stretches from 10th Street east to 17th Street to the west, and from High Street on North to Walnut Street to the south. Centered in this district are John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park, which showcase 28 works of art covering over 4.4 hectares of green gardens. This sculpture park is free and open to the public and provides its own guided self-guided tour. At the eastern end of the sculpture park is the iconic Des Moines Central Library. The library is designed by the famous British architect David Chipperfield and consists of floor-to-ceiling glass panels throughout buildings and green roofs. The Temple for the Performing Arts also anchors the eastern end of the park.
Surrounding the park are several corporate campuses including Blue Cross Blue Shield headquarters, National Insurance, Meredith Corporation, and ING. These buildings provide an excellent frame garden and add energy to the area. In addition, Kum and Go plan to build a $ 92 million corporate headquarters designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano.
Downtown Core
Although parts of the city center are generally characterized by office space, recent transformations have begun in the city center. Many high-rise buildings are slowly converted into apartments, creating an urban environment like no other in Des Moines. Central Downtown contains a large city center known as Kaleidoscope in HUB, although it has struggled in recent years to remain viable. Central Downtown also uses a unique skywalk system that connects almost every building in the third-floor district that crosses city streets. Some important buildings that are visible are located within the district including the 801 Grand and the EMC Insurance Building. In addition, Des Moines Performing Arts is located in this district and offers nearly 5,000 seats of performing arts space.
Since 2013, the City of Des Moines has planned revitalization of the Walnut Street Corridor. The city is dreaming of a street, an urban lane decorated with retail and upscale restaurants. Public collection and green space will be included to complement the newly refurbished Cowles Commons completion.
Parks and recreation rooms
Des Moines is blessed for having a vast area of ​​green space available to residents and visitors downtown. The John and Mary Pappajohn Statue Park is one example of the expensive green spaces available for general use. In addition, the green areas around Des Moines Central Library and Temple for Performing Arts are also intended for general use.
The city center is connected to the Iowa road network through several lanes, including the Meredith Trail. The Meredith Trail connects the city center to the adjacent Gray's Lake Park, and a large park featuring a large lake and several trails and walking paths.
Cowles Commons is a newly finished public meeting room featuring large sculptures and water features between trees and foliage. Cowles Commons will serve as an oasis and event space among the skyscrapers in the city center.
Principal Riverwalk
Running in downtown Des Moines is the Principal Riverwalk. The Principal Riverwalk is the result of a unique public-private partnership between Principal Financial Group and City of Des Moines. The Riverwalk is 1.2 miles away and includes connections across the river through the Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge and a converted railway bridge. The area around the river includes beautiful promenades and large statues. It also includes a unique triangle-shaped building that has a bathroom and snack shop known as the Spot Hub.
Also on the Riverwalk is Brenton Skating Plaza. The skating plaza operates as an ice rink throughout the winter. During the summer, the square serves as a concert hall for many events. A large canopy was erected over the plaza during the summer to protect customers from the sun and its elements. A fence in a dog park can also be found along the river bank, located near the Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge. In addition, a unique children's park is located near Iowa Women's Achievement Park donated to the city by the Rotary Club. The park is in the form of a fishing bobber and includes a swing and seating area for the elderly.
Music, art and culture
Des Moines Symphony is based at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines. Ballet Des Moines, primarily based at Hoyt Sherman Place in the downtown city center, sometimes featuring performances at the Civic Center as well.
Every year, the Western Gateway Park area hosts the Des Moines Art Festival and the 80/35 Music Festival.
Amusement place
Downtown is home to a variety of unique entertainment venues for a variety of different performance mediums. A variety of venues add to the creative feel of downtown Des Moines. Each venue offers its own unique attributes and atmosphere and speaks to a wide range of audiences. Places are listed below.
- Des Moines Performing Arts Civic Center
- Temple of the Performing Arts
- Simon Estes Amphitheater
- Kum and Go Theater
- Stoner Theater
- Wells Fargo Arena
- Veterans Memorial Auditorium
See also
- Younker Brothers Department Store
References
External links
Media related to Downtown Des Moines on Wikimedia Commons
- Site Around
- Historic Eastern Village
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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