Plans to remake Water Works Park will start to take shape

2012 marks the beginning of Water Works Park’s transformation and development.

After the Des Moines Water Works Parkitecture competition winner is announced, the victorious firm will settle a contract with Des Moines Water Works, establish a budget and put together a master plan for the 1,500-acre site, which is located between Fleur Drive and 63rd Street in the southwest part of Des Moines, said Carl Rogers, the project manager and an associate professor of landscape architecture at Iowa State University.

Des Moines Water Works – with help from ISU – launched its international Parkitecture competition to bring in a broad range of applicants and design ideas to help transform the park, Rogers said.

The competition began in June, and 46 plans were submitted by the Oct. 3 deadline. Rogers said 21 of the proposals were from professional firms, and 25 were submitted by students.

After making it through the first round, the finalists were each given $10,000 to develop their plans, presenting them in front of about 150 people on Dec. 16 at the Des Moines Art Center, Rogers said.

The project’s 12-member jury, which will ultimately decide the winner, originally hoped to announce the winner on Dec. 30, but Rogers said two members could not attend the meetings. He anticipates a decision by the end of next week.

Iowa Economic Development Authority to work on bringing companies to Iowa

A lot needs to be done to create 200,000 jobs over the next five years – a campaign promise made by Gov. Terry Branstad — and the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) plans to use the expertise of the newly created Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress (IPEP) board of directors to get there.

Last January, Branstad proposed turning the Iowa Department of Economic Development into a public-private partnership, which is made up of three sections: The Iowa Economic Development Authority acts as the public arm, the Iowa Innovation Corp. acts as the private arm, and the Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress serves in an advisory role.

Tina Hoffman, an IEDA spokeswoman, said the organization will draw on the experience and knowledge of the IPEP board of directors, which was created through an executive order in October and is comparable to a corporate leadership board.

The 18-member board – composed of Iowa business leaders including Bill Fehrman, president and CEO of MidAmerican Energy Co., Larry Zimpleman, CEO of Principal Financial Group Inc., and Mary Andringa, president and CEO of Vermeer Corp. – met for the first time Jan. 5.

“They’re business leaders whose expertise is invaluable to us in understanding how to attract companies,” Hoffman said, adding that the organization will focus on creating, implementing and executing strategies.

Hoffman said the IEDA made large structural changes in 2011 and will now shift its focus to approaching and attracting prospective companies.

Downtown Community Alliance to spruce up skywalks, Walnut Street

For the Downtown Community Alliance (DCA), 2012 will be a busy year.

The group, which focuses on downtown development and planning, hopes to begin the transformation of Walnut Street into a shopper-friendly area filled with retailers and restaurants.

Glenn Lyons, the organization’s CEO, said construction will not take place until 2013. However, 2012 will be used to plan the concept and design of a new and improved Walnut Street. The group will also develop a marketing plan and work on leasing retail space to businesses.

Another ongoing project will be fixing up the downtown skywalk system. The DCA started the project in December 2011, putting in new carpet, installing murals and applying new paint before the Jan. 3 caucuses. But Lyons said this project will continue throughout 2012 with the addition of new signage and the update of areas that weren’t improved in December due to the short notice.

Finally, Lyons said the DCA will be working on fund raising for the rebuilding of Nollen Plaza, with the aim of starting construction in 2013. Architect Ken Smith, an Iowa native, was contracted to redesign the area, turning it into an inviting, accessible and flexible place to accommodate a wide range of events. Smith developed the plan over several years and unveiled it in February 2011.