Ingersoll Square Condo/Commercial Project

[musichase]

Hey all,
I'm new to this forum and want to chime in on this topic. I've been working on a project to put a performing arts venue in the old Stivers building...live theater, comedy, music. Any thoughts, especially as it would tie in to the new housing and retail proposed for the area? I have more info for those who want it. Right now we're fundraising like crazy...$4 mil price tag.

[dogbo]

How large of a venue are you talkign about? Will this fill a copacity need that other venues in DSM don't currently handle?

[musichase]

Dogbo,
My plan is to involve space for all the indie theater groups in town who need a home. We need rehearsal, storage and performance space as well as room to build sets, store costumes and so on. Right now, my plans include all the above and 3 performance spaces-1 true proscenium stage for 250 seats, a 110 seat Stoner Theater-like black box and a smaller 70 seat experimental thater. In addition, I envision the showroom as a music "cabaret" space for smaller acoustic or jazz acts. There will be office space and displays for archives.

I'd like a little feasibility feedback for this. If we build it will they come?

musichase

[NOG's Wife]

Dogbo,
My plan is to involve space for all the indie theater groups in town who need a home. We need rehearsal, storage and performance space as well as room to build sets, store costumes and so on. Right now, my plans include all the above and 3 performance spaces-1 true proscenium stage for 250 seats, a 110 seat Stoner Theater-like black box and a smaller 70 seat experimental thater. In addition, I envision the showroom as a music "cabaret" space for smaller acoustic or jazz acts. There will be office space and displays for archives.

I'd like a little feasibility feedback for this. If we build it will they come?

musichase

This has me thinking about the Ingersoll Dinner Theater location. It would be nice if we could get someone to take it over and make it something grand. I think I read something a while back about a guy who was planning to have a standing one man act at the theater, but that just doesn't sound like something that will last long.

[speeder]

I really wish someone would do something with the Ingersoll Dinner Theater, I miss it. Sure the food sucked, the drinks were pricey, but hey, it was a dinner theater. I think there used to be another dinner theater in that castle/strip mall on the southwest corner of I-235 and 73rd Street/8th Street; for some odd reason I have a memory of going there at a young age. Is anyone familiar with the EnglertTheater in Iowa City... the groups that turned that around would be a great resource for someone looking to reopen the Ingersoll Theater; though I would like to see a dinner theater option, which I don't think the Englert is, could be wrong though.

[DMRyan]

A small blip about this project, which will hopefully get underway soon (although the April starting date seems a little ambitious).

I'm looking forward to renderings.

Condo project gets backing for incentives

Des Moines City Council members Monday endorsed $2.5 million in building incentives for a $23 million condominium project at Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and Ingersoll Avenue.

The City Council Monday recommended to state economic officials that they approve $1.9 million in tax credits and $500,000 in sales tax refunds.

The project from the High Land Co. will include 138 condos. Construction is expected to begin by April.

[Ingersoll1978]

When I first read that article...and it said $23 million...I thought they had scaled back! That figure doesn't include the apartment and commercial space that will also be built on the site.

[DMRyan]

It seems as if this project will be phased, with the condo units being built much sooner than the commercial component. As long as the commercial part doesn't get cut entirely because that's the most important part of the project!

I can't even imagine the impact of extending this kind of retail/commercial space towards this corner of Ingersoll will do for the area.

[dmluvr]

doesn anyone have any word as to when renderings will be released??

Is the commercial going to be a seperate building??



Even with these "phases" it's good to see ground breaking in april.

[Ingersoll1978]

Not much info on the website yet, but the developers are really starting to market this project on billboards.

[DMRyan]

I'm still anxious to hear about the mixed-use residential and commercial space along Ingersoll. The size of this project alone may be enough to propel the property values around the area enough to make redevelopment enticing. The renderings/design for the project aren't the neatest, but when you drive or walk by the project, you realize just how large the scope of this really is.

[dmluvr]

it'll be interesting to see how it pans out. "The jury is out" on this one.

i'll at least say this--good to have this parcel developed. man--what a big hole in that gateway into down and on that intersection there.

[Ingersoll1978]

I'm not sure if this is good or bad...but as we were driving by Ingersoll/MLK...I noticed a Grubb & Ellis for sale sign on the corner where this project is going in. I'm assuming its the area that the commercial/apartment area is supposed to be. Anyone heard anything about it?

[DMRyan]

Did it mention "leasing information available"? If so, it is probably for the 2nd phase that will include commercial.

The dirt is still being pushed around and the stakes being put in the ground for the first phase, so I assume that everything is still a go.

[Ingersoll1978]

No...it said for sale. Maybe they are going to try and get a different developer to do the mixed-use building?

The first phase is definately a go. We have flyers in our lobby telling perspective owners of this new project.

[wmjindsm]

I walked down there tonight and the term used was "Available"... The Grubb & Ellis site lists Ingersoll Square as a property for lease. Long link...

http://www.loopnet.com/looplink/gepacif ... erty+Types

[Ingersoll1978]

Yeah...that is what it said. Thanks for the correction.

[DMRyan]

That site plan shown on the Grubb & Ellis site doesn't even show the footprint of the commercial buildings they are trying to lease.

[wmjindsm]

Yeah I thought they'd have more info than they did. Well they seem to know the square footage!!!

[Ingersoll1978]

That's a relief. I thought they were selling the land for development.

[DMRyan]

I beleive I heard that this project will now be phased, with only L-shaped building of condos getting built right now.

Not much progress has been made at this site. The foundations are being poured, but a delay was a product of soil stabilization/more sheet piling than orginally thought for the underground parking.

[Des Moineser]

It was going to be phased from the get-go. Supposedly they are installing foundations for the next buildings (the commercial ones) and then building those a few years later.

[Ingersoll1978]

I don't think it will be "years". They are already advertising the commercial space.

[Des Moineser]

A few years, like 2-3 years. Not 8 or 12, come on.

[Ingersoll1978]

I'm hoping it'll be under construction by next Summer!

[Des Moineser]

I am too, but it seems that many local developers are a little cash-straped these days, so that may not be possible.

[DMRyan]

After a pretty long delay, Ingersoll Square Phase I is starting to take shape:

[Cyclonefan]

WOW, havent relized how quickly that is going up. Are there any plans for arcoss MLK from that development behind the doctors office?

[DMRyan]

I believe the area behind the Ingersoll clinic is the spot that is someday slated for a Hubbell Brownstones project.

They're probably waiting to see what happens with sales in this Ingersoll Square condo project first.

This is in combination to a planned 42 units of brownstone apartment living that is currently going through the rezoning process on High Street. We don't have renderings on this site yet, but it should look very similar to the Woodland Avenue brickstones.

Ingersoll Square is going up fast now, but it seems pretty piecemeal in how they're phasing this project. If all goes well, there will probably be off and on construction for various phases over the next 5 years.

[Cyclonefan]

that area is bustling with development now! I remember when it was just slabs of concrete with weeds growing in between and fences!
That will be a nice area with MLK and all those condos