Brewery, tap room passes first hurdle to open in West Des Moines

Local brewer Brian Fox is trying to open the first brewery with a tap room in West Des Moines in an area near Valley Junction. Currently, West Des Moines city laws do not allow production breweries that also sell pints of beer to its patrons. Fox’s project passed its first hurdle in February, receiving unanimous approval from the West Des Moines Plan and Zoning Commission for an ordinance regulating brewery tap rooms. If the rest of the process goes well, Fox could open the business as early as this summer. After working as the assistant brewer at Court Avenue Brewing Co. for two years, Fox plans to open a seven-barrel brewing system, which means brewing up to 210 gallons at a time.

New apartments planned for Ankeny

A four-story apartment complex with 85 units is under construction at 820 E. First St. in Ankeny. Lake Shore Apartments is intended to bring an “urban” feel to the growing suburb, with features like 9-foot ceilings and exposed ductwork. The complex will also have a pool and a park-like setting that overlooks a four-acre lake. Located on one of the last piece of undeveloped land on a commercial corridor, it will be an in-fill development scheduled to open in July. Rent starts at $900 for a one-bedroom, $1,085 for a two-bedroom, and $1,400 for a three-bedroom.

Krunkwich Ramen House to open in April

Sam Auen of Tacopocalypse announced a year ago his plans for a ramen/banh mi/pho restaurant, but the opening date was only announced in February. The new restaurant featuring ramen noodles will open Wednesday, April 15, at 11 a.m. Krunkwich will be in the former Tacopocalypse space at 621 Des Moines St. Auen’s menu will be a creative mix of Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese cuisines with his own personal spin, and the menu will have vegetarian and vegan options. Krunkwich will be open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Jefferson casino opens temporary office

The operators of the $40 million Wild Rose Jefferson casino and resort under construction in Greene County have opened a temporary office. Mike Couch, casino general manager, and Mike Wiederin, facilities manager, are staffing the office, which opened on March 2. The casino plans to hold a job fair at the office in the beginning of April. About 275 people are expected to be employed by the Jefferson casino. Construction is moving forward on schedule, according to officials.

Construction to start on Hotel Randolph downtown

Sherman Associates, a Minneapolis-based developer, is scheduled to begin construction on the Hotel Randolph renovation project in mid-March. The project was supposed to start in early 2014 but it is now expected to be finished by the end of the year. The former hotel and two adjacent buildings downtown, located at Fourth Street and Court Avenue, will become 55 market-rate apartments above first-floor retail space. The city will pay $3.4 million to Sherman over nine years for the project. The project, which was originally proposed in 2013, has increased its cost from $17 million to more than $19 million.

Tally’s has new ownership

Heather Hamilton recently took over ownership of Tally’s Restaurant Bar and Catering at 2712 Beaver Ave. in Des Moines. Hamilton is a native of Beaverdale with 14 years of experience in the restaurant industry, including time as district manager for the Riley Drive Company, which includes Saints Beaverdale and Beaver Tap. Tally’s is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to close, and for Sunday brunch, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It offers a full range of catering services and a diverse menu. Call 515-279-2067 or visit www.tallysbeaverdale.com.

Hubbell to begin apartment project in Grinnell

A former car manufacturing plant located in Grinnell will soon be a $12.5 million apartment complex. Hubbell Realty Co. kicked off the start of the project in February, and Spaulding Lofts is scheduled to open in spring of 2016. The former Spaulding Manufacturing Co. will become 77 one- and two-bedroom units. Grinnell officials sought to address a shortage of market-rate housing in the town, and they believe the new housing will create a sense of neighborhood in the downtown area. The Spaulding Lofts is one of Hubbell’s first projects outside the metro. CV