Ann Taylor closing at Jordan Creek

Jordan Creek Town Center is set to lose one of its original tenants later this month when Ann Taylor closes its doors on Jan. 23. Reportedly, the lease is expiring for the women’s clothing store, and the parties mutual agreed not to renew.

Loft ups its image
Loft, a sister store of Ann Taylor, is temporarily closed and undergoing remodeling but will reopen soon with improvements.

And then there was… Altar’d State
Altar’d State, a Christian retail clothing store and coffee shop, is slated to move into Ann Taylor’s vacated space. The company sells trendy clothing, dresses, footwear and jewelry among other things. The chain is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and consists of 50 boutiques mostly in the Southeastern region.

New Pita Pit
A new Pita Pit franchise is open for business at 2708 Ingersoll Ave. The shop is in the same new retail development that includes the newly opened Firehouse Subs, and the soon-to-be-opened Pancheros Mexican Grill. The new eatery seats about 40 and offers toasted sandwiches, pitas and other treats. Owner Mike Rink also owns three other metro locations. Hours are for the Pita Pit on Ingersoll are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Welcome to Waukee
The city of Waukee set a record by issuing 900 building permits in 2015. That’s nearly a 35 percent increase from the previous high set in 2014. Local officials say there is no sign of a slowdown and are predicting more of the same in 2016. Of the 900 permits issued, 372 were for single-family housing, 89 for townhomes and four were for multi-family units. The valuation of the new permits totaled $154.4 million.

Meanwhile in West Des Moines…
A total of 51 permits were issued in West Des Moines during 2015 for a total valuation of over $16.6 million of improvements. D&B Development pulled the suburb’s largest permit in the amount of $9 million to build at 6420 Coachlight Drive. The project is described as WDM Plastic Surgery and Spa.

Meredith Media General?
According to a company news release, Meredith is proposing a “merger of equals” with Media General. The merger would create a powerful new multiplatform and diversified media company known as Meredith Media General. The amended agreement would include enhanced dividends, higher synergies and less debt. A closing date of June 30, 2016 is being targeted. Meredith’s National Media Group reaches 100 million unduplicated women every month, including 60 percent of American Millennial women.  Meredith is the leader in creating and distributing content across

SkyWalkDSM app available
A free Des Moines skywalk navigation app, created by Polk County, is now available for download. The new app makes it easier to navigate the city by giving you access to a detailed map and skywalk construction and closure updates in real-time. You can also find detour routes so you’ll never get lost again.

Apple app store link to download the app. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skywalkdsm/id1063177269?ls=1&mt=8

Google Play Store link to download the app. https://play.google.com/store/search?q=skywalkdsm&c=apps

Help decide transportation projects
Greater Des Moines residents are invited to give opinions on the local transportation projects they would like to see funded by the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). A total of 27 projects are being considered.  Trails, streetscapes, transit buses, road reconstruction and even new road construction are some of the options to be decided. More than $47.9 million in projects have been requested, but less than $13 million is available for funding. The public can find project descriptions and an interactive map of the 27 projects online at www.dmampo.org/public-participation/ and leave comments on the site now through Sunday, Jan. 31. Comments can also be shared at a public meeting from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at the MPO, 420 Watson Powell Jr. Way, Suite 200.

Independent bookstore to open
Mary Rork-Watson announced the opening of her new independent bookstore, Plot Twist Bookstore, at 502 N. Ankeny Blvd., Unit 6, in Ankeny, is set for April. Plot Twist will feature new books for all ages, gifts for readers and community events. “What I want to offer my customers is connection — connection to the right book, to authors and to other readers,” said Rork-Watson. Find more information at www.facebook.com/plottwistbookstore or call 306-3722. CV