Head East
Despite economic downturns, Eastern Polk County continues to experience commercial growth
By Matt Miller
When it comes to economic development across the state, cities like Iowa City, Coralville and Council Bluffs are blueprints for success. In central Iowa, West Des Moines has become an icon with destinations like Jordan Creek Town Center and West Glen Town Center. But while areas west of Des Moines receive much of the publicity for growth, the communities of Eastern Polk County have quietly and steadily raised in the ranks with new construction in the private and public sectors, despite economic slowdowns elsewhere. Cities like Pleasant Hill, Bondurant, Mitchellville and Altoona have become “The New East Side,” and a growing number of residents and visitors are heading in that direction.
“Over the past few years, there has been a changing of the dynamics of the Des Moines market,” said Damen Trebilcock, vice president of real estate development with Heart of America, a design, construction and management company developing the Shoppes at Prairie Crossing in Altoona. “The market used to be a north-south one in Des Moines, but it’s headed to an east-west market.”
A perfect fit
It was a cold blustery day this past February when Brian Hudson moved to the Altoona area. Growing up in Louisiana, much of Hudson’s days were spent in the south, far away from the Midwest’s winter temperatures. But all that changed earlier this year when Hudson was recruited by Bass Pro Shops to open a retail store in Altoona.
“When I first got the news about opening a store in Iowa, I was really excited,” said Hudson, general manager. “When you open any new business, it’s nerve-wracking at first, but we know this retail store is the perfect fit for the state of Iowa and this community.”
In February, Bass Pro Shops announced that it would open a destination outdoor superstore in Altoona, a community of approximately 14,000 people. A little more than three acres in size, the 145,000-square-foot building, which has the largest selection of equipment and clothing for fishing, hunting, hiking, biking, backpacking, camping, outdoor cooking and wildlife viewing, is located at the corner of the Interstate 80 and Highway 65 by-pass. It sits on a part of a 200-acre tract of land owned by developer Mike Whalen. Bass Pro Shops officials held a special event for conservation and a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 26. The store officially opened to the public Aug. 27. Annually, more than 90 million people visit their stores. Officials say they have already exceeded expectations locally, as more than 15,000 have visited each day for the first week.
“The development happening in and around Altoona has been a long process, but it’s one that is now bearing fruit,” said Altoona Mayor Tim Burget. “Over the past 10 years the growth has been strong and stable, and we’ve brought a lot of services to the area.”
Altoona’s Bass Pro Shops also focuses on the vast diversity of the Iowa landscape, complete with its history and culture. The store uses more than 3,500 area artifacts, antiques and pictures, along with memorabilia and mounts. There is a museum, art gallery, antique store and an education, conservation and entertainment center. The building also features Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl and Grill, a 15,000-square-foot bowling facility. The area has 12-custom-designed lanes, a billiards room with a fireplace and a casual-dining restaurant that can hold up to 150 people. The island-themed bar also has a 750-gallon saltwater aquarium.
“The traffic count has now stabilized, but we were flooded the first week or so, even when it was pouring down rain the first couple of days,” Hudson said. “When we first opened, visitors were coming to see the building. Now we’re starting to see customers spend money and come in for a reason. It’s our time to provide service to our customers so they’ll want to come back.”
Bass Pro Shops is also widely known for its efforts in conservation and outdoor education. The stores offer workshops for adults, families and kids.
“We are indoors, but an outdoor entertainment,” Hudson said. “It’s like an amusement park of fun, but we pride ourselves on more than just that. We want to add learning and involve youth.”
Hudson says the store hopes to discuss the idea of organizing field trips with local schools to teach students about conservation and education.
“We don’t open so many stores per year like a lot of people might think,” he said. “This store was built because the community wanted it to be built — it wasn’t just an all Bass Pro decision. With that being said, what better time to touch a child with our conservation efforts. We’re not just open for retail — we want it to be learning experience so you’re capable of enjoying the outdoors, too.”
Many consider that the addition of Bass Pro Shops to Altoona adds even more entertainment value to an area full of opportunities. Adventureland, which opened in July 1974, has become a seasonal hotspot for families, drawing more than a half million customers annually. Today, the amusement park has thrill rides like the Space Shot, The Dragon, The Inverter and The Sidewinder. It also has family rides like The Log Ride and water area like Kokomo Kove. Altoona is also home to the state’s only horse racing facility, Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino. Prairie Meadows began operation in 1989 and draws more than 3.5 million customers per year.
“We’ve been a big proponent of the new Bass Pro Shop coming in,” said Gary Palmer, president and CEO of Prairie Meadows. “The combination of Prairie Meadows, Adventureland and Bass Pro Shops is quite a sector out here. We cannot help but think about all the people visiting this wonderful area. We’re very excited about all the possibilities.”
Altoona has a multitude of other recreational opportunities including more than 17 miles of trails, a skate park, aquatic park and list of civic and sports organizations.
“All of these destinations are a tremendous draw from the Des Moines area and will allow us to increase our commercial tax base,” said Altoona City Administrator Jeff Mark. “As a result, that will mean additional revenues for the rest of the community that can create more opportunities for residents. There are so many wonderful things happening right now. Our goal is the betterment of Altoona, Eastern Polk County and the Des Moines area.”
Building for the future
Trebilcock says that developers have owned the 200 acres of land, known as Prairie Crossing, for about 11 years. He says developers have always held the vision with the City of Altoona that the area would one day become a regional shopping area. And now that time has come as Heart of America has begun work for The Shoppes at Prairie Crossing, an open-air lifestyle center with a collection of the nation’s finest retailer to the central and eastern Iowa markets. The Shoppes will be located where Interstate 80 and Highway 65 intersect, also known as the Des Moines Beltway. Officials say the development will be in a prime location allowing easy access from all areas of Des Moines, highlighted by Hubbell Avenue, which serves as a direct link to downtown Des Moines and communities to the north.
“We’re very eager to start developing,” Trebilcock said. “It’s a huge site, and over the next five years, it’ll be booming with business.”
Plans are in the works to bring a blend of retail, restaurants and other entertainment venues to the area, including a 14-screen, top-of-the-line movie theater. A handful of restaurants/bars will sit along the 7 1/2-acre lake. The University of Phoenix, the nation’s largest private university, already plans to use part of the center. The private university features online and evening classes targeted at working adults.
“We hope to create an environment that is open and have an outdoor feel to it like many other centers are doing today,” Trebilcock said. “In our opinion, Southridge Mall is slowly dying, and Merle Hay is struggling. So this is a great option. It’s going to be similar to what Jordan Creek Town Center is to West Des Moines, but this won’t be as tight.”
For those questioning the logic behind The Shoppes at Prairie Crossing, Trebilcock says the research backs up the idea. One-third of Iowa’s population -— approximately 1 million people -— live within an hour’s drive of The Shoppes, and communities surrounding the property account for almost half of Iowa’s population growth in the past decade. Traffic count along Interstate 80 is 70,400 vehicles per day; Highway 65 is 24,500 vehicles per day; and Hubbell Avenue is 14,800 vehicles per day. That’s a total of 109,700 vehicles each day.
Heart of America officials also believe The Shoppes can succeed after seeing current neighboring retailers like Menards, Target, Wal-Mart and Lowes experience good sales since their openings. Even during hard economic times, Trebilcock says the time is now.
“Although the economy isn’t the best right now, we are still taking advantage and pushing ahead,” he said. “It’ll pay off in the long run.”
Mark agrees.
“The economy has been struggling for some time now, and that has delayed some of the decision making among retailers, but that should change this spring and summer,” he said. “We might not know what the upside is right now, but it’ll come.”
Opening its doors
Economic and residential growth has its benefits, but it also creates challenges in the private sector, most noticeably with overcrowding in the schools. With proper planning and funding, the Southeast Polk Community School District has been the envy of many neighboring districts with the opening of its $57 million high school, located at 7945 N.E. University Ave. in Pleasant Hill, on Aug. 24.
“The new high school provides a learning environment which enables all students to successful meet challenges now and in the future,” said Superintendent Tom Downs. “To the community, the school is a symbol of the support the citizens have for its youth and importance it gives to educating the youth.”
The district opted to build a new high school as students and staff were feeling the pinch from inadequate space over the past six years due to enrollment growth. The old high school was built and renovated to handle 1,200 students whereas Downs says the new high school can serve a student population of up to 2,300 students. The old high school used 10 portable classrooms to meet the needs of students.
Southeast Polk is the 12th largest school district in the state of Iowa, and the district has grown by an average of more than 200 students per year for the past six years.
“Everyone was feeling the space crunch, so it was a huge blessing when the new building was finally completed,” said Marti Kline, a district spokeswoman. “Our students and staff can now take advantage of the extra space.”
Construction on the 345,000-square foot building began in 2006 and was scheduled to be completed at the beginning of last year, but the school didn’t open until last month due to weather delays and the design complexity. The new high school is one of a handful of renovated or new high school buildings in Polk County. In recent years, Des Moines East and West Des Moines Valley high schools have completed renovations and expansions. Work on Urbandale’s $60 million project where the high school was replaced in phases over the past four years is nearly complete. Bondurant-Farrar and Ankeny school districts have plans to build new high schools in the coming years.
The new Southeast Polk high school had its official dedication and ribbon cutting on Sept. 27. Visitors to the building were given self-guided tours. Last week the school also celebrated Homecoming, complete with a parade, crowning of a king and queen, and a football game against Indianola.
The school features two academic wings — activities and academics — within the three-story building. The new school has 103 classrooms, a state-of-the-art auditorium and a gymnasium with a capacity of 3,500. It also has a weight room/fitness center that includes $300,000 in the newest equipment.
“I believe that students and staff are generally impressed with the building,” Downs said. “Everyone is expressing a positive feeling in the teaching and learning areas.”
The district plans to use the old high school as the new junior high for students in 7th and 8th grade and will be ready next fall. The current junior high building will serve as a 6th grade school the following year.
“A lot of planning and preparation was done to get this building up and functioning,” Downs said. “It’ll last many years and is designed and equipped to provide students and staff with state-of-the-art teaching and the ‘bells and whistles’ necessary to enhance learning.”
The time is now
With all the developing taking place in Eastern Polk County, the area is becoming a hub for economic development. Years of planning are beginning to pay off, and as a result, officials hope the area reaps rewards. Many have considered Altoona to be Iowa’s Entertainment Capitol, and with the recent changes, few can deny that now.
“I think that people are finally starting to realize what Eastern Polk County has to offer,” Burget said. “I think we’ve made a strong statement, and it has become a hub for the state of Iowa. It has balanced growth that will only increase the quality of life, and that’s something we want to promote.” CV
Caption: 9594: Officials at Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino believe customer numbers will increase significantly with opening of Bass Pro Shops. Photo by Matt Miller
Caption: pc-panaramic view: Visitors to the Shoppes at Prairie Crossing will enjoy the outdoor lifestyle with the entertainment aspect of Altoona. Photo courtesy of Damen Trebilcock
Caption: entryway: Bass Pro Shops officials say that the Altoona community has welcomed the store with open arms.
Caption: supt downs: Southeast Polk Superintendent Tom Downs believes students and staff will benefit from the new $57 million high school.
Photo courtesy of Southeast Polk High School
