Aviva Picks WDM as New Home

[Better Life dude]

The color of the stone is beautiful. I think this is the color we thought Wellmark was going for on their stone work - the creamy butter look instead of peanut butter look.

[Des Moineser]

Aviva-related news story in the paper today. A little bit of Office Space going on, apparently.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/articl ... /909290364

A Des Moines woman accused of embezzling $5.9 million from Aviva USA appeared Monday afternoon in federal court in Las Vegas following a three-day flight from Iowa during which she attempted to cash a check so large that banks could not cover it, court records say.

The lawsuit also alleges that Stevens:

- Used the name of two former Aviva agents for commission payments even though neither worked for the company at the time.

- Altered the records so that the commission payments intended for the agents were deposited electronically in a bank account jointly held by the two women in an Indianapolis bank.

- Used a Social Security number that had belonged to a man living in Hammond, Ind., for one of the agents.

Phyllis Stevens has described herself as the head of the Iowa chapter of Marriage Equality USA, a gay marriage advocacy group.

Federal Election Commission records show that she has given more than $82,000 in political contributions to Democratic congressional candidates from Iowa, such as U.S. Reps. Leonard Boswell and Bruce Braley, Democratic presidential candidates and groups such as the liberal MoveOn.org.

In addition, Iowa campaign finance records show that she has contributed about $6,000 to female Republican and Democrat candidates for the Iowa Legislature.

Polk County assessor records show the Stevenses purchased homes at 721 and 741 16th St. in Des Moines' Sherman Hill district, paying a combined $470,000 for the properties last June.

No mortgage for either property has been filed with the Polk County recorder's office, a review of the recorder's online records shows.

Aviva's lawsuit also says the couple owns two residential properties in Indianapolis and a dwelling in Florida.

How would Michael Bolton describe the type of prison she's going to? After all, she's not going to white collar resort prison.

[Better Life dude]

How would Michael Bolton describe the type of prison she's going to? After all, she's not going to white collar resort prison.

Although it seems obvious by the facts, technically, she is innocent until convicted.
Also, if you mosey over to the Gay Marriage In Iowa Thread, you'll see this story covered.
Disclosure: This lady is my neighbor - 5 doors down - although I haven't met her (she & her wife just moved in the middle of this summer). While walking the dog at supper time, I had to cross the street to avoid the WHO-TV camera man filming.

[Des Moineser]

Oops, didn't notice. She may be technically innocent at the moment, but I'm not a journalist so I don't have to throw around words like "allegedly." This is SO obvious she might as well plea down as much as they'll let her rather than letting this one go to trial.

Well, I'm sure the neighborhood's talking already.

[Young DSM Social Club]

Well, she certainly bought an attractive house.

[Keepgrowingdsm]

If anyone can get out by Aviva to take pictures do so, they have really enclosed the main circle drive entrance to the building. It looks impressive!

[DMRyan]

When it starts to green up and all of the brown snow is gone, I plan to get out and shoot a lot of photos of construction site, which will probably be substantially complete by mid spring.

Anyways, possible good news for an Aviva presence in downtown. Apparently they're looking to retain their global investors group in leased space downtown. Look for more on this in the news over the coming days.

[wmjindsm]

Anyways, possible good news for an Aviva presence in downtown. Apparently they're looking to retain their global investors group in leased space downtown. Look for more on this in the news over the coming days.

Here is the article from the Des Moines Register:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/articl ... Aviva-unit

So how come companies like Aviva and Wells Fargo split up their units in differnt areas like this. Does it keep there options open in the future or something else

[Young DSM Social Club]

While it's a shame downtown lost the bigger Aviva, this would be a very nice branch to keep downtown, with very good, high paying jobs. Kudos to DSM for being so proactive on this one --- let's hope it's the start of many.

[DMRyan]

This is the kind of proactive needed to keep office users expanding or locating to all of the empty office space downtown, but it's an expensive proposition to subsidence virtually any office tenant user that promises to relocate or expand employment.

If you're on DSM's side of how this unfolded, it helps take a little of the sting out the company relocating out of downtown. While small in the number of jobs in comparison to their WDSM campus, it sounds like this global investors group is really a public front door to the company. Here's a line from the city council agenda documents for the economic development agreement:

Business functions to be located downtown include, Global Finance, Risk Management, Compliance, Operations, Human Resources, Business Development, and Information Technology.

Aviva Investors has estimated they currently generate approximately 2,900 hotel night stays per year. The number of hotel night stays is anticipated to increase as the company’s employment grows. Visitors include institutional investors, potential clients, visitors from financial centers such as Chicago and New York, representatives from company headquarters in the United Kingdom as well as professionals from a variety of other locations. Much of this activity will occur in downtown Des Moines.

[Mastermind]

Will this fill up the remaining office space in Davis Brown if 290 employees are added?

[otter]

While it's a shame downtown lost the bigger Aviva, this would be a very nice branch to keep downtown, with very good, high paying jobs. Kudos to DSM for being so proactive on this one --- let's hope it's the start of many.

Just a heads up, Aviva never had plans to relocate its investment group and are merely playing the system.

[DMRyan]

I'd believe it. Nearly every city is unfortunately in the position of having the system played or having the threat of its large employeers moving to a place that will play the system. Fundamentally, nobody likes this cat and mouse game of incentives for profitable corporations, but this is what serves as 'economic development' in this day and age.

[econboy]

I'd believe it. Nearly every city is unfortunately in the position of having the system played or having the threat of its large employeers moving to a place that will play the system. Fundamentally, nobody likes this cat and mouse game of incentives for profitable corporations, but this is what serves as 'economic development' in this day and age.

Exactly.

It IS the game so you have to play if you want to be relevant. Until their is a fundamental change in the way people think, culturally, in this country when it comes to how people treat money we will continue to have this.

[Keepgrowingdsm]

As of this past Monday, there are now over 400 employees at the new headquarters. Several hundred more will move in over the summer.

[mistertwister]

Started first day in the new building. Definitely a first class effort. I'll try to post some pics at some point. Some of the nicer spaces aren't finished yet such as the cafeteria and outdoor ampitheater but they should be finished in the next couple of weeks.

[DMRyan]

Aviva has completed their relocation to the new WDSM campus.

From the DSM Business Record:

Aviva USA completes move to new headquarters

All 1,300 of Aviva USA's Greater Des Moines-based employees and contractors are now occupying the company's new $150 million headquarters at 7700 Mills Civic Parkway in West Des Moines, the financial services company announced Thursday. Aviva relocated its staff from three leased locations in downtown Des Moines to the new campus.

Aviva broke ground for the eight-story building, which is situated on 88 acres of commercial property at the intersection of Jordan Creek Parkway and Mills Civic Parkway, in April 2008. The company expects to know by mid-November whether it will gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the project, which incorporates significant energy-saving and environmentally friendly design features.

[mistertwister]

They are close to capacity in the new building already.

I don't know if they're looking to expand on the campus just yet but I wouldn't be surprised to see another building or two pop up on George C Mills in the next 5 to 10 years.

[Keepgrowingdsm]

There is already discussion on a second tower but nothing guaranteed as of this point. The approved site plan for their 80 acre site is 1.3 million square feet of space (The first building is 360,000 sf) a hotel, child care center and 1-2 parking structures. There is lots of room to grow here!

[dogbo]

Yeah...good thing seeing as how our central city's downtown doesn't have any office capacity to fill.

I don't mean to be a total Debbie Downer on positive economic news, but I just don't know how anyone with a perspective that includes the health of the entire metro area (or maybe better, the dramatic/positive effect that could have been) can not have continual lump in their gut on the whole Aviva move out of downtown (and now talk of a 2nd tower).

[hawk61401]

Yeah...good thing seeing as how our central city's downtown doesn't have any office capacity to fill.

I don't mean to be a total Debbie Downer on positive economic news, but I just don't know how anyone with a perspective that includes the health of the entire metro area (or maybe better, the dramatic/positive effect that could have been) can not have continual lump in their gut on the whole Aviva move out of downtown (and now talk of a 2nd tower).

Imagine the panorama of downtown from Fleur Drive and Bell Avenue if not one but possibly two 8 story towers were built in the 15th and 16th street areas west and north of downtown. We will never know what the spinoffs would have been. But we do know that it would have done great things for downtown Des Moines.

I'm happy and grateful that Aviva is in the metro. But, I can't get too excited about any future development at their West Des Moines site. That continual lump in the gut is matched with a bitter taste in the mouth.

[dogbo]

Just to be clear, this is not a jab at you keepgrowingdsm. Your always positive attitude on the forums is refreshing and I assume you have a vested interest at some level in this that probably pertains to your job.

[urbanlawyer]

That sound you hear is the gasp coming from the Hub Tower and Kaleidoscope. We have a lot of work to do as a business community to bring back the core. The Eco Core project that the GDM Partnership is working on is a step in the right direction. There is a lot of space available downtown, but a lot of opportunities.

[Keepgrowingdsm]

I don't take it as a jab and appreciate your comment regarding that dogbo! What I deal with in my job I get excited about but share the same concerns you all have.

[mistertwister]

Since my commute is now 5 minutes, I am a little biased in this one.

While the loss of large employers and opportunity to grow the skyline of DM is regretful, I do believe that having so much unused space will allow for consolidation and redevelopment that might not have happened otherwise. There is a lot of older stock that is not suited for today's business climate and at prices that are not conducive to rehabbing or demolishing. While it may be a short term loss for DM, it could wind up being a long term gain. Just look at what happened to the EV and Court Ave.

[DMRyan]

Here's some shots of a completed Aviva Building. A 2nd tower almost looks like a natural fit already with the glass foyer that has the Aviva sign.

[mistertwister]

You should see it on the inside

The view from the eight floor is pretty cool, especially watching storms roll in.

[DMRyan]

Aviva's new US HQ has acheived LEED Gold Certification.

From the DSM Business Record:

Aviva USA headquarters attains LEED Gold status

Aviva USA announced today that its new West Des Moines headquarters has been certified as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold building by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The eight-story, 360,000-square-foot structure is the largest LEED Gold certified building in Iowa and one of only five its size or larger in the United States to achieve that designation, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. Aviva's project is the 24th LEED Gold building in the state and the fourth in Greater Des Moines.

[rasmeth]

LEED should take into consideration how a building is sited and how it makes its employees get to the building. If it is located to bring people in by car, mass transit, foot, or bike, and how far it makes them go by car or bike to get there. Other than this big oversight that makes certification less reputable, it is an honor to have a building here that meets so many of the other technical requirements for sustainability.

[dogbo]

LEED should take into consideration how a building is sited and how it makes its employees get to the building. If it is located to bring people in by car, mass transit, foot, or bike, and how far it makes them go by car or bike to get there. Other than this big oversight that makes certification less reputable, it is an honor to have a building here that meets so many of the other technical requirements for sustainability.

I agree.