Davis Brown Tower: 13 stories

[DMRyan]

Here's the new rendition of the tower. It looks a little sleeker than the original conceptual design, and has retained its signature round glass tower on the NW corner. It appears the spire/pole has been cut from the design though.

It sort of resembles the Plaza Towers in Iowa City now, only with 7 floors of parking in between instead of hotel and residential.

[Brady]

looks nice. i'm glad they got rid of the spire...i think it would've just looked like a big antenna out of place.

[dmluvr]

yeaaah--definitally nicer....very nice.

however, I did like the spere--I say put it back in!!

man--that is going to add some kick ass density to that area---with all that residential and such in there-very nice.

sure--the 7 stories worth of pkg garage sucks--but for some nice first floor retail that they got going on--and even the offices up top(let's hope for some good tenants)it's a great proj.

[cdub]

I spent a lot of time in that garage while working in the hotel and remember driving out of there slightly impared wondering how all the people left paint on the circular exit when I managed just fine!

Its a good project but I wish it did more to complement the hotel.

[Norwalker]

I agree with you on the new look, cdub. By itself, I like the new exterior a bit better than the first design iteration, but I'm not sure it fits as well with the look of the existing buildings around it. Maybe I'll change my mind after I see it built.

Either way, I don't miss the spire.

[dogbo]

I like the mixture of old/new - traditional/modern, etc within the same business district. Keeps things interesting!

[Ingersoll1978]

I like the new rendering. Has anyone heard when construction begins?

[DMRyan]

The only date I've heard is that the developers would like to start demolishing the existing parking garage by July of this year. Not sure if they're still on that time table or not.

[dmluvr]

So not so much on the sphere huh?

oh well.....I digged it---and I think the sphere would fit in a lot better now with the more sleek modern look.

and hey dogbo--totally agree about the mix. It does keep things interesting and adds some nice color to the scene.

[Cyclonefan]

I know right now there is a skywalk on the corner of were the tower will be but will it stay there and be part of the tower?

And if there will be, has anyone heard if there is going to be skywalk to 111 city lofts across the street?

[Cyclonefan]

I just cant wait to hear what computer or book store is going to be on the first floor!!

I think that store will be on the bottom 2 stories

[Ingersoll1978]

The skywalk crosses over the street before the garage being torn down. I'm assuming the skywalk will connect to the new building...but not 111 City Lofts according to their floor plans. You can view the floor plans here:
http://www.111citylofts.com/floorplans.htm

By the way...WELCOME to the forums Cylconefan!

[Ingersoll1978]

There are now fences up around the parking garage! Demolition must be on its way soon.

[Des Moineser]

Yep, I also saw they taped off the stairwell and blocked the enterance. Maybe it's got a week left.

[Cyclonefan]

does anybody know how tall it will be in feet or yards??

[Ingersoll1978]

A nice article from the Register about this project...and yes...demolition has started! I'm also going to change the title of this thread to reflect the name of the new tower.

Once-novel parking garage falls, making room for DM tower
In the late 1950s, the ramp taught visitors to park their own cars — and it was a spot to watch the USSR's Nikita Khrushchev.

By DAVID ELBERT
REGISTER BUSINESS EDITOR

August 23, 2006

Demolition began this week on the parking garage across from the Hotel Fort Des Moines, closing one chapter in city history, even as a new era is about to begin.

The original ramp was built in 1957 at a time when travel was more formal. Doormen and bellhops were in vogue, and the hotel staff had to remind guests that the ramp across the street was a "self-parking" facility, hotel owner Jeff Hunter said.

The four-level ramp at 10th and Walnut streets will be replaced by a 13-story multipurpose tower that will be the first of its kind in Des Moines, with two stories of retail space at street level, followed by seven levels of parking and topped with four stories of office space.

The half-block-long building will be called the Davis Brown Tower, in honor of a longtime Des Moines law firm that will move from the Financial Center on Walnut Street to occupy the top floors.

Construction of the $40 million building will begin once the old parking ramp is demolished, in about four to six weeks, said Darrell Ball of Ball Construction Services, which will manage the project for Ladco Development. Completion is slated for late 2007.

The original four-level ramp was one of the earliest self-parking structures in downtown Des Moines. The downtown's earliest parking ramps were built in the 1920s, staffed by attendants who parked vehicles for customers.

Hotel owner Hunter, who is a history buff, found a memo dated Oct. 29, 1957 - one week before the ramp across from the hotel opened - detailing how the parking facility would operate.

In the memo, Fort Des Moines manager Joseph E. Whalen told his staff: "Many of you will be asked questions about this, and - just as a reminder - it will be a self-parking operation where the patrons will park their own car and lock it, if they desire."

In a later memo, Whalen noted that, for liability reasons, "hotel employees are not permitted to park a car in the Parkade (as the ramp was then called), nor to get it for a guest."

The north end of the old ramp has a concrete spiral that cars used to descend from the upper floors.

That helix is located directly across from the hotel's front entrance and served as a viewing stand in 1959 when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev spent a night at the hotel.

A newspaper article at the time estimated that 25,000 people crowded around the hotel the day of the premier's departure, hoping to see the world leader, whose visit was accompanied by rifle-toting, uniformed police.

The new Davis Brown Tower will replicate the helix of the current ramp with a conical feature on the same corner.

Davis Brown Tower

LOCATION: 10th Street between Walnut and Mulberry streets, across from Hotel Fort Des Moines
SIZE: 13 stories
COST: $40 million
FEATURES: Two levels (21,000 square feet) of retail; seven levels (770 spaces) of parking; four levels (112,000 square feet) of office space
CONSTRUCTION BEGINS: This fall, after the existing 500-car ramp is demolished
DURING CONSTRUCTION: Hotel guests and others who use the lot will use the Allied Insurance parking ramp on Walnut Street west of the hotel.
COMPLETION: Late 2007
LEAD TENANTS: Davis Brown law firm (top two floors), Hotel Fort Des Moines (parking)
DEVELOPER: Ladco Development
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER: Ball Construction Services
ARCHITECT: RDG Planning and Design

[dogbo]

I noticed that the rendering they printed in the Register today with this article was actually the older one that has since been revised.

[DMRyan]

Say goodbye to this ugly beast.

[Ingersoll1978]

[dmluvr]

BYE BYE!!! Yeaaahhh!!

[Des Moineser]

Yes!

[DMRyan]

Found out some approximate estimated heights for this building today.

From 1st floor elevation to the ceiling of the top floor, the building will be 167 feet. When you take in the oranmental tower and mechanical penthouses, the building will be around 188 ft. tall.

It would've busted 200 ft. in height, but the parking garages have floors that are about 3 ft. less tall than the office floors.

The south and east sides of the building of the parking garage portion of the building will actually be open air similar to the Wells Fargo garage that was built a few years back (no wonder we haven't seen renderings taken from the south or east yet).

[Cyclonefan]

new updated pics

[4th&Court]

~lovely~

[Ingersoll1978]

Kevin told me the garage was on it's way down. WOW.

Anyone know how tall the Hotel Fort Des Moines and the Hubbell Tower are?

[DMRyan]

Not much left but the sprial on the NW corner now.

[NOG]

Hey Luvr, walked past this building yesterday. It acutally says "Thank You 5th floor" on the side. Obviously I can't post what we thought it said by looking at the pic.

[dmluvr]

Niiiiiiice my man---nice!! LOL

[Ingersoll1978]

LOL...Now I get it. LOL

I wander what was meant by the "real" message? I noticed that when Kevin and I were down there.

[NOG]

LOL...Now I get it. LOL

I wander what was meant by the "real" message? I noticed that when Kevin and I were down there.

I think there was a beautiful girl staying across the street at the Hotel Fort Des Moines on the 5th floor. She flashed the demolition crew from her window overlooking the parking ramp. Since the crew had the machinery running, they knew she could not hear their shouts of gratitude. So they spray painted "Thank You 5th Floor", to let her know they appreciated her gesture.

Atleast that is my working hypothesis.