New coffee, gelato shop to open downtown

Sidebar is a new coffee and gelato shop opening in the Capital Square office building in Des Moines this month. The restaurant as an ultra-modern theme and will serve coffee, pastries and other breakfast items in the morning; sandwiches at lunchtime; and light items such as meat and cheese plates in the evening. It is opening across the way from Big City Burgers and Greens. Sidebar will have 10 flavors of imported Italian gelato selling for $3.50 a scoop, two of which will rotate. Mother Earth fair trade organic coffee will be featured at the restaurant, which will also serve espresso drinks and a combination of gelato with espresso poured over the top, called an affogato. Beverages including local beers, wine and cocktails will be served in the evening. Two Rivers Hospitality Group owns the new shop, and it also operates Big City Burgers, Dos Rios, Catering DSM and The Atrium at Capital Square. Sidebar’s hours will be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, or later if there is an event at the nearby Civic Center.

Studio 409 moving to larger West Des Moines space

Wig salon Studio 409, which offers wigs to women with hair loss that stems from cancer or illness, will move to a larger space in West Des Moines on Sept. 1. Jack Morlan, the salon’s owner, is currently operating at 1900 Grand Ave. in West Des Moines, but will move it to 1721 25^th St. Studio 409 offers synthetic and human hair, as well as consultations and products for thinning hair. Morlan started his business 44 years ago. Hours will remain the same, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Call 457-9534 or visit studio409wigs.com.

Ace Hardware to open in Ankeny center

Gordon Sterk, who owns the Johnston Ace Hardware, is expanding his business with a new location in Ankeny. Sterk’s new store will anchor the Westwinds commercial building at 3020 Oralabor Road. There was previously an Ace Hardware at 700 N. Ankeny Blvd., but it dropped its affiliation and became a Hardware Hank last November. The Illinois-based Ace has about 4,900 stores globally and is one of the top companies in the hardware industry. The new Ankeny location will have 15,000 square feet and is expected to open by December.

Midland Building sold to Davenport company

Revive Community Development Co. has purchased the century-old office tower known as the Midland Building for $2.1 million. Revive specializes in historic renovations, and President Omar Bradley said the company intends to renovate the 12-story building, although it hasn’t decided what the final product will be yet. Apartments, offices and even a hotel are all options the company is considering for the space. The Midland has been home to several tech and startup companies, as well as Scooter’s Coffee on the first floor. Bradley said he plans to have the Midland listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and he will also seek historic tax credits for the renovation. Revive is a Davenport-based company, and this will be its first Des Moines project.

AIB announces plans to sell on-campus apartments

As AIB College of Business prepares to close the college next year, it has announced plans to sell three on-campus apartment buildings including a total of 60 furnished, one-bedroom apartments and 3.74 acres. The property, located on the southwest corner of the campus, is listed for $3 million. AIB spokeswoman Jane Schorer Meisner said the college has no plans to sell other buildings before it gives its campus to the University of Iowa, which plans to turn the remainder of the 20-acre campus into a regional higher education center. AIB will close on June 30, 2016. The college’s dwindling enrollment made the apartments unnecessary, as all the students currently living on campus reside in one building. Enrollment is currently at 419, down from 1,014 in the fall. The school expects enrollment to fall until its closure. CV