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2020: A year in review

Pandemic, racial equity activism, election and new projects paramount in historic year

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2020 has undoubtedly been historic – around the world, country, state and Central Iowa. This timeline takes a look back at some of the biggest business stories in the Greater Des Moines region this year. It is by no means all-encompassing, but it highlights a year greatly altered by the coronavirus pandemic, racial equity activism, a historic election and several significant projects in the region. 

While 2020 is soon to be wrapped up, the events of this year will have effects for years to come. Take a look back. 


 

JANUARY

LAW & GOVERNMENT

Jan. 2 – The Iowa Association of Business and Industry sued the city of Waterloo for adopting a measure banning the city and many businesses from asking about applicants’ criminal records in early stages of the hiring process. The City Council approved the “ban-the-box” ordinance in the fall of 2019 and it wasn’t set to become effective until July 1. It doesn’t let employers ask about an applicant’s criminal history until after making a conditional job offer. Opponents predicted it would be challenged in court as violating a state law that prevents cities from adopting rules that exceed or conflict with federal or state law.


HEALTH & WELLNESS

Jan. 6 – Families with children who are receiving care at MercyOne Children’s Hospital can have a comfortable place to stay at no cost right inside the Des Moines hospital with the opening of Greater Des Moines’ second Ronald McDonald House. MercyOne is only the 10th medical center in the nation to have an in-hospital Ronald McDonald House. 


FEBRUARY

GOVERNMENT & TECH

Feb. 3 – A lack of timely, definitive results in the highly competitive 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses was blamed in part on the IowaReporterApp, a precinct results reporting app developed for the Iowa Democratic Party by the for-profit company Shadow Inc. Precinct captains reported struggles in downloading the brand-new mobile app before the caucuses, limited training by the party on operating the app, and uploading errors in the hours after the caucuses completed. The problems delayed all public reporting of the caucus results until

 

Feb. 9. The results were later recanvassed, and the Iowa Democratic Party announced the recount results on Feb. 27, naming Pete Buttigieg as the winner. The event prompted the Nevada Democratic Party to terminate a similar app contract with Shadow for that state’s upcoming caucuses.

 

REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT

Feb. 4 – The Urban Design Review Board approved the preliminary design plan for a transload facility planned on Des Moines’ east side. The $25 million rail-based terminal is planned on a narrow strip of land located at 200 E. 15th St. The 40-acre site is on the north side of East Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. The transload facility is a transfer site at which bulk materials and other large items are loaded onto semitrailers from rail cars or from rail cars to semitrailers. Planning for the facility has been in the works since at least 2012. 

The proposed transloading project represents a golden opportunity for the Central Iowa region by providing shippers with access from a single location to three major railroads — BNSF Railway Co., Norfolk Southern Railway and Union Pacific Railway — as well as the regional Iowa Interstate Railroad. 

 

HEALTH & WELLNESS 

Feb. 5 – MercyOne West Des Moines officials unveiled plans for a new Maternity & Infants Care Center on the top floor of MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center. The $13 million project, which MercyOne has been quietly planning and constructing over the past 18 months, will occupy the entire seventh floor of the hospital. 


REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT

Feb. 11 – A proposal to build a hotel-casino entertainment complex at the Des Moines International Airport was likely dead after its governing body decided not to direct the airport manager to begin discussions with the developer on a lease agreement. Reggie Sinha, an independent airport consultant, had proposed developing a $225 million entertainment complex at the airport that would provide a percentage of the estimated $85 million in annual revenue from the hotel and casino earnings to the airport. The money, he told the commission, could help close a funding gap for the proposed airport improvement plan. Members of the Des Moines Airport Authority Board, however, were skeptical that a casino could garner support from all the necessary governing bodies, including the Des Moines City Council, Polk County Supervisors and Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. In addition, a referendum would need to be held to get approval from Polk County voters.


EDUCATION 

Feb. 28 – Iowa State University’s Ivy College of Business announced its incoming class for the full-time Master of Business Administration program marked a milestone that a majority of MBA programs nationwide are still aspiring to reach — gender equality. For the first time in the program’s history, an equal number of female and male students — 14 each — are enrolled in the newest 28-member Ivy Master of Business Administration class at ISU. Among the 25 most prestigious MBA programs in the country, only one so far — the University of Southern California-Marshall — reached that goal when it achieved 52% female enrollment in its 2018 class. Last year, 13 of the top 25 schools tracked by the graduate business education newsletter Poets&Quants had female enrollment of 40% or higher.  

 

MARCH

HEALTH & WELLNESS 

March 2 – MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center and the MercyOne Foundation announced the launch of a $16 million fundraising campaign that will fund the MercyOne Richard Deming Cancer Center in Des Moines. 


STATE

March 8 – The state announced that Iowa had its first “presumptive positive” coronavirus cases. Three people from Johnson County had recently traveled on a cruise ship in Egypt.


EDUCATION

March 13 – Des Moines Public Schools announced it would close through at least March 29. The district was the first in the state to make the decision. 


STATE

March 16 – The Iowa Legislature convened one last time before suspending the session for at least 30 days. The House and Senate did not return to session until June 3. 

 

NONPROFITS

March 16 – The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines announced it had activated a new Disaster Recovery Fund that will be used to support communities that are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 emergency. The Disaster Recovery Fund was created in partnership with disaster response and philanthropic organizations in Greater Des Moines to develop a collective strategy for charitable giving during times of disaster. The Community Foundation’s board committed an immediate $100,000 to the fund, which was matched by $100,000 from United Way of Central Iowa. 


STATE

March 17 – Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered the closure of restaurants, bars, fitness centers, theaters, gaming facilities and senior citizen centers/adult day care facilities in an unprecedented public health disaster emergency declaration. 


ARTS & CULTURE

March 17 – The performing arts community shut down as performances at Des Moines Performing Arts and Hoyt Sherman Place were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. As the year comes to a close, neither has reopened to audiences. The Des Moines Playhouse put on drive-in-style performances in its parking lot over the summer, and this fall resumed live performances with limited audiences and social distancing guidelines in place, offering livestream options for those who didn’t want to attend in person.

CULTURE

March 31 – The 80/35 Music Festival announces preemptive cancelation of the 2020 festival, scheduled to take place July 10-11, due to high risk of disruption to ticket sales, grants and volunteers.


EDUCATION 

March 31 – Simpson College’s board of trustees announced the appointment of Marsha Kelliher as Simpson College’s 25th president and the first woman to serve in the role. Previously, Kelliher was president and CEO of Walsh College, a private business college in the Detroit suburb of Troy, Mich. 

 
APRIL

TRAVEL & TOURISM

April – The travel and tourism industry began to see the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as conventions, sporting events and other activities were canceled and shut down as the virus spread. The hotel and restaurant industries were especially hard hit. The cancelation and postponement of events resulted in a more than $284 million hit to the local economy. But by early fall, there was some bright news when officials at Catch Des Moines learned that Des Moines would host the first and second rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in 2023. Throughout the year, travel and tourism officials shifted their focus to online activities and promoting outdoor recreation, focusing on such attractions as Jester Park, Gray’s Lake and the High Trestle Trail. 


NONPROFITS

April – Nonprofit organizations big and small had to reimagine fundraising in 2020 as big campaign events normally held in person were adapted for Zoom and other virtual platforms. While the needs for services increased in 2020, nonprofits struggled with balancing increased demand with a tougher fundraising climate. As the year progressed, the community rallied around one another and many nonprofits found success in the new virtual environment, both in fundraising and providing some services virtually.


TRANSPORTATION

April – Air travel plummeted in the early weeks of the pandemic, leaving the terminal at the Des Moines International Airport nearly empty. After seeing air travel drop by as much as 88% early on, air travel began to recover by midsummer but by fall still remained about 55% below the previous year’s level.


EDUCATION

April 8 – Des Moines Public Schools announced plans to complete the 2019-2020 academic year online. 


STATE 

April 8 – The Small Business Relief Program expanded from $4 million to $24 million after the Iowa Economic Development Authority received nearly 14,000 applications for grants in two weeks, equaling more than $148 million in grant assistance.


April 21 – Gov. Kim Reynolds announced launch of the Test Iowa platform, a software developed by Nomi Health to schedule Iowans for a publicly provided COVID-19 test at limited sites across the state. 

 
MAY

EDUCATION

May 1 – Iowa schools received nearly $72 million in federal CARES Act relief funds for pre-K-12 schools to address costs incurred. 


HUMAN RESOURCES

May 1 – Beginning in May and ramping up through early 2021, more than 2,000 Iowa Guard members were expected to be deployed overseas in support of operations for three unified commands across the globe. That number represents nearly 30% of the Iowa Guard’s total personnel, the largest number deployed from Iowa at one time since 2011. 

 

REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT 

May 4 – The Des Moines Film Society released plans to renovate and reopen the historic Varsity Theater in the Drake neighborhood. 


LAW & GOVERNMENT 

May 27 –  Several African American employees filed a class-action lawsuit against Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield Insurance for alleged discrimination in the workplace. The employees reported experiencing racial discrimination at work and retaliation after complaining to management about the treatment. Wellmark said the allegations “are unfounded and without merit.”

 

CULTURE

May 12 – The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines awarded more than $93,000 to 26 local nonprofit organizations through the COVID-19 Nonprofit Adaptation Grant Program. 


BANKING & FINANCE

May 15 – Polk County launched a new initiative aimed at significantly increasing the availability of free financial counseling for Polk County residents. The Financial Empowerment Center program — which was two years in the making — is an initiative designed to ramp up the training and delivery of financial counseling as an embedded service for Polk County residents. 


LAW & GOVERNMENT

May 25 – Minneapolis resident George Floyd was killed by police, as one officer knelt on his neck for several minutes, during an arrest. The incident, one of several slayings of a Black person at the hands of police, sparked national conversations about racism across every sector of the nation. While groups already existed locally, the Des Moines Black Liberation Movement and Des Moines Selma, among others, spurred more activism, protests and calls to support Black-owned businesses after Floyd’s death. Other killings and incidents throughout the year continued to spark outrage about racism. The death of Breonna Taylor, a Black medical worker who was shot and killed by Louisville police officers in March during a botched raid on her apartment, led to demonstrations and the widespread use of the hashtag #SayHerName, which activists used to raise awareness about violence toward Black women that often goes un-talked about.  

 

STATE

May 28 – Public gathering venues began opening on a restricted basis after Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a new proclamation on May 20, which also permitted summer school sports. Hinterland announced plans to cancel the 2020 music festival.  

 
JUNE

INSURANCE & INVESTMENTS 

June 2 – Fidelity National Financial Inc. and FGL Holdings announced the completed acquisition of FGL Holdings by FNF. Under the terms of the definitive agreement, FNF issued about 27 million shares of FNF common stock and paid about $1.8 billion in cash to former holders of FGL ordinary and preferred shares. 


INSURANCE & INVESTMENTS

June 5 – Community leader, philanthropist and retired insurance executive J. Barry Griswell died at age 71. Griswell led Principal Financial Group through a number of historic events during his 20-year career there before his retirement as chairman, president and CEO of the Des Moines-based financial services company in 2008. 


INSURANCE & INVESTMENTS

June 19 – The reinsurance arm of Athene Holding Ltd. said it would invest $500 million in Prudential PLC’s U.S. life insurance businesses, including Jackson National Life Insurance Co., as the Athene unit reinsured $27.6 billion of Jackson’s annuities business. The deal would enable the company to increase its gross invested by approximately 20% with predictable outcomes, Athene CEO Jim Belardi said.

 

TRAVEL & TOURISM

June 10 – The Iowa State Fair announced it was canceling its 2020 run because of the pandemic. Fair officials organized fair food days and other activities to keep would-be fairgoers happy.


AG & ENVIRONMENT

June 11 – Rattan Lal, known as a pioneer in soil health, was named the 2020 World Food Prize laureate. Lal, a distinguished professor of soil science and director of the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center at Ohio State University, was presented the award at the Borglaug Dialogue, held virtually because of the pandemic.


ENVIRONMENT

June 22 – Ted Corrigan was named the new CEO and general manager of Des Moines Water Works. Corrigan had been serving in that role on an interim basis since his predecessor, Bill Stowe, died in April 2019.


LAW & GOVERNMENT 

June 22 – The Des Moines City Council approved an anti-racial profiling ordinance, which had been years in the making and still didn’t include everything local civil rights leaders felt it needed. The ordinance is meant to prohibit biased policing. In a public forum, community members congratulated the persistence of a community alliance that has shaped the ordinance and thanked young Iowans who organized in force to demand change at the local level.


EDUCATION

June 24 – Des Moines Area Community College and the University of Northern Iowa announced a $1 million donation from UNI alums Mark and Jill Oman, which will support the “UNI at DMACC” 2+2 program at DMACC Urban Campus. 

 
JULY

HEALTH & WELLNESS

July 1 – UnityPoint Health-Des Moines announced it will end maternity services on the Iowa Lutheran Hospital campus and consolidate those services with Iowa Methodist Medical Center and Methodist West Hospital. The consolidation of maternity services will enable UnityPoint to create future capacity for general medical and surgical patients on the Iowa Lutheran campus. 


INSURANCE & INVESTMENTS

July 9 – New York-based private equity firm KKR & Co. agreed to buy retirement and life insurance company Global Atlantic Financial Group Ltd. for more than $4.4 billion. The proposed deal marked a third significant purchase of assets and investment management of a Des Moines-based annuity company by private equity firms in recent years. 


INSURANCE AND INVESTMENTS

July 23 – Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield announced that Cory Harris, the insurer’s chief operating officer, will become the company’s CEO when John Forsyth retires at the end of 2020. Harris will transition to the CEO position on Jan. 1, 2021. Forsyth, whose plans to retire were also made public, has been the company’s longest serving CEO, leading the company since 1996.


HEALTH & WELLNESS 

July 24 – The VA Central Iowa Health Care System announced plans to open a 49,000-square-foot outpatient Primary Care Annex at 1111 E. Army Post Road. The completely renovated facility will be located in the former Toys R Us retail store near Southridge Mall. 


LAW & GOVERNMENT

July 26 – The Harkin Institute and other disability rights groups celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a landmark civil rights law authored by former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin. During the celebrations, progress toward a more accessible society on many fronts was acknowledged, but advocates also raised awareness about the need for more accessibility in business and called for employers to eliminate barriers affecting people with disabilities as they seek jobs.

 

AUGUST

EDUCATION

August – Iowa’s regent universities and private colleges all put hybrid learning models in place for the fall semester. Each institution had its own plan, but all largely involved more online classes and changes in school breaks to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. 


LAW & GOVERNMENT

Aug. 5 – After months of calls from local Des Moines Black Liberation Movement activists, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed an executive order restoring voting rights for Iowa’s ex-offenders who had completed their felony sentences ahead of the November election. The order didn’t automatically restore voting rights to people convicted of murder, manslaughter and other felony offenses included in Iowa’s homicide code. Iowans who don’t get their voting rights automatically restored upon completing their sentence can apply to the governor for individual rights restoration. A constitutional amendment would be required to permanently restore voting rights. 


EDUCATION

Aug. 5 – Drake University Law School announced it will offer a spring enrollment option for the first time in its 155-year history. Incoming Drake Law students have the option of beginning law school in January 2021, rather than waiting until June or August. Students who choose to start in January will take classes in the summers and graduate at the same time as fall semester students; admission criteria, graduation requirements and other programming will remain the same for students who enroll in January.


ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Aug. 7 – The Greater Des Moines Partnership announced promotions and strategic realignments in leadership that are not only part of a succession plan ahead of President Gene Meyer’s retirement, but also meant to help the Partnership build on its reputation of being a best-of-class economic development organization.

 

IOWA STOPS HUNGER

August – In response to increasing rates of food insecurity caused by the pandemic, Business Publications Corp. launched Iowa Stops Hunger to raise awareness of the problem and look for solutions to the quickly rising number of food-insecure Iowans. Learn more at iowastopshunger.com. 


A look inside the Des Moines-based Food Bank of Iowa, which was busier than ever this year, as were other food insecurity organizations throughout the state. Nearly 600,000 Iowans – or almost 1 in 5 – have experienced food insecurity in recent months, an increase of about 67% since the coronavirus pandemic arrived in Iowa, according to data from Feeding America, a network of 200 food banks across the country.

 

STATE 

Aug. 10 – A straight-line derecho windstorm swept through Iowa at record-breaking speed with 100-plus mph winds. The storm traveled 700 miles in 14 hours and was later declared the most costly thunderstorm in recorded U.S. history by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which estimated the storm cost more than $7.5 billion in damage across multiple states. An estimated 90% of structures in Cedar Rapids were damaged, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that 850,000 acres of crops were lost. Marshalltown, which was still recovering from a catastrophic 2018 tornado, was also hit hard. Two Iowans were killed during the storm, and one Iowan was killed by electrocution in the immediate aftermath.

EDUCATION

Aug. 10 – Drake University announced that Alejandro Hernandez was named dean of the College of Business and Public Administration, effective Aug. 14. Hernandez joined Drake from Wells Fargo & Co., where he most recently served as senior vice president responsible for corporate social responsibility strategy and reporting. A native of Chile, Hernandez became the first Latino to serve as a dean in Drake’s 139-year history.


STATE

Aug. 25 – Gov. Kim Reynolds allocated $100 million in federal CARES Act funds to farmers affected by 

COVID-19 pandemic. 


STATE

Aug. 27 – Gov. Kim Reynolds closed bars, wineries, breweries, distilleries and night clubs in six of Iowa’s 99 counties for three weeks to reduce the spike in COVID-19 cases. The order is part of an extension of the state’s public health disaster emergency declaration.

 
SEPTEMBER

LAW & GOVERNMENT

Sept. 1 – The Polk County Board of Supervisors approved allocating up to $800,000 to the Polk County Housing Trust Fund to pay back rent owed by people about to be evicted from apartments and other housing. Polk County Community, Family & Youth Services, working with the Housing Trust Fund and Iowa Legal Aid, identified people whose eviction hearings were being held that week and the next to help them either get other emergency assistance or pay their back rent from the $800,000 allocation.


EDUCATION

Sept. 1 – Drake University officials announced the founding of a new two-year college — the John Dee Bright College at Drake University. It’s the first new college to launch at Drake in more than 70 years, with an approach that Drake leaders say will reimagine the two-year college experience. 


EDUCATION

Sept. 8 – Des Moines Public Schools began the school year with 100% virtual classes. 


REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT

Sept. 14 – Bankers Trust Co. filed a foreclosure petition on a downtown Des Moines parking garage under construction at Fifth Avenue and Walnut Street. The petition claims that 5th and Walnut Parking LLC and developers Justin Mandelbaum and Sean Mandelbaum are in default on a $48 million note on which payments were to begin being made on Aug. 31.


HEALTH & WELLNESS

Sept. 18 – Des Moines University celebrated the start of construction at the site of DMU’s new 88-acre campus in West Des Moines. The medical school has had a steering committee working on a new campus master plan for about the past 18 months after confirming in June 2019 that it would be moving the campus west. 


STATE

Sept. 25 – A new public health disaster emergency declaration by Gov. Kim Reynolds opened bars in four Iowa counties, but continued bar closure for in-person business in Johnson County – home to the University of Iowa – and Story County – home to Iowa State University – until Oct. 4. 


INSURANCE & INVESTMENTS

Sept. 28 – American Equity Investment Life Holding Co. announced it had reached an agreement in principle to form a strategic partnership with global alternative investment firm Värde Partners and Agam Capital Management LLC, an insurance services provider. 


CULTURE

Sept. 30 – CEOs and top-level leaders of companies, organizations and public entities were encouraged to sign a CEO Commitment to Racial Equity as part of an initiative unveiled by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. The initiative was developed by the Partnership with input from the Directors Council and its One Economy Blueprint for Action, and leadership at Capital Crossroads. By signing the commitment, leaders are asked to work to create equitable, inclusive and diverse workplaces and communities. More than 100 CEOs were early signers of the pledge. 


OCTOBER

TRANSPORTATION

Oct. 1 – The Des Moines Area Transit Authority officially launched its electric bus pilot program in partnership with MidAmerican Energy Co. After weeks of preparing buses and training drivers, the first electric buses hit the streets of Des Moines in early December.


INSURANCE & INVESTMENTS

Oct. 1 – W. R. Berkley Corp. appointed Timothy Nelligan as president of Continental Western Group, a Berkley company. He replaced the late Mike Lex, former president, who died earlier this year.


REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT

Oct. 1 – Krause Group and Iowa Soccer Development Foundation Inc. offer to partner with the city of Des Moines to move a stadium proposed for south of downtown Des Moines about two blocks west to the former Dico Inc. site, which has been unoccupied for 25 years because of ground contamination. The groups want to develop an outdoor stadium for soccer and other events.


REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT

Oct. 6 – Microsoft Corp. confirmed it plans to build two new data centers in West Des Moines. The new data centers – Project Ginger East and Project Ginger West – will each be about 1.8 million square feet and each cost about $1 billion to develop, which includes building construction materials and machinery and equipment. Construction is expected to begin in September 2021. 


INSURANCE & INVESTMENTS

Oct. 18 – American Equity Investment Life Holding Co. rejected a $3 billion takeover offer by Athene Holding Ltd. and MassMutual, and instead announced it reached a partnership with Brookfield Asset Management Inc. Brookfield will reinsure up to $10 billion of American Equity’s fixed index annuity liabilities and make a 19.9% equity investment at $37 a share.  

 

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Oct. 19 – The Iowa Alliance for Healthy Kids announced it will bring the Sesame Street in Communities initiative to Greater Des Moines, through a $500,000 grant to Sesame Workshop from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The alliance plans to roll out the program in Central Iowa in 2021 and expand it statewide within the next two years. 


MANUFACTURING & LOGISTICS

Oct. 23 – Lely North America Inc., part of a global manufacturer of automated dairy equipment based in the Netherlands, celebrated the start of construction of its new headquarters in Pella. The total project investment is estimated at between $20 million and $22 million, and it is expected to open in the first quarter of 2022.  

REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT

Oct. 28 – Hope District, a $250 million development planned in Grimes, was unveiled. The project by Hope Development & Realty LLC is expected to include the Midwest’s largest turf sports tourism venue with 70 soccer fields of varying sizes, up to 26 baseball and softball fields, and 13 football fields. Also planned are hotels, restaurants, retail and destination entertainment venues. 

 
NOVEMBER

LAW & GOVERNMENT

Nov. 3 –  Iowa voters helped the Statehouse remain under Republican control with the party flipping several seats red during the election, which saw more mail-in and early votes nationally and locally because of the pandemic. The election saw Iowa’s federal incumbents Sen. Joni Ernst and Rep. Cindy Axne reelected, while newcomer Representatives Ashley Hinson and Randy Feenstra were elected for their first terms. At time of press, the race in District 2 between Rita Hart and Mariannette Miller-Meeks was still being contested as the race was separated by a mere six votes. And while Iowa went for incumbent President Donald Trump, former Vice President Joe Biden ultimately won the historic race, which saw the election of Kamala Harris as the U.S.’s first woman and first person of color to serve as vice president. 


REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT

Nov. 4 – Amazon Inc. confirmed it is building a sortation center in Bondurant, less than a mile west of its new fulfillment center. The sortation center is expected to employ 100 full-time workers and up to 400 people part time, depending on the time of year.


INSURANCE & INVESTMENTS 

Nov. 9 – More than 200,000 insurance claims had been filed in Iowa since the Aug. 10 derecho lashed the state with 100-plus mph winds, according to a summary released by the Iowa Insurance Division. Of those claims reported as of Nov. 2, nearly 160,000 totaling more than $1.6 billion have been paid, and insurers are holding more than $1 billion in reserves to be used for the remaining claims. 


HEALTH & WELLNESS

Nov. 3 – Broadlawns Medical Center began work on a surgery department expansion on the first floor of the county hospital’s Sands Building. The project, which has a construction cost of $5.5 million, with equipment and furnishings will total about $8.5 million. 

 

REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT

Nov. 11 – The Surety Hotel and Mulberry Street Tavern opened at 206 Sixth Ave. in downtown Des Moines. The establishments are located in what was once called the Midland Building and Hippee Building.The structure’s $40 million renovation, which included preserving historic features like a main staircase with ornate iron railings and marble and terrazzo floors, vault doors and hardwood maple floors, took more than two years to complete.  

 

CULTURE

Nov. 11 – The Business Record officially launched Fearless, a multiplatform initiative with women-centered content, events and media designed to help women and the companies and allies who value and support them. 


REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT

Nov. 19 – The owners of Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines announced that the former Younkers department store site will be converted into an ice hockey arena, event center and hotel. The planned arena will be the new home of the Des Moines Buccaneers hockey team.

 

DECEMBER

RETAIL & BUSINESS

Dec. 1 – Kum & Go announced CEO Kyle Krause would step down at the end of the year, and his 33-year-old son and current president Tanner Krause would take over the gas station and convenience store chain. Tanner will be the fourth-generation leader of the family business, which started in 1959 with a single store in Hampton. Krause will remain the leader of Krause Group, parent company of Kum & Go. He will spend more time advocating for a downtown Des Moines soccer stadium and managing his Italian businesses, which include wineries, a new hotel and a professional soccer team that he purchased in September.

HEALTH & WELLNESS 

Dec. 3 – Hy-Vee Inc. announced the launch of its newest subsidiary, Vivid Clear Rx. The new subsidiary will offer pharmacy benefit management services to Hy-Vee’s more than 88,000 employees as well as to other employers. 


STATE

Dec. 3 – Iowa announced it was preparing to distribute its first round of COVID-19 vaccines to health care workers and long-term care residents and staff. The state was expected to receive enough Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to provide shots for 172,000 people, beginning the week of Dec. 13, Gov. Kim Reynolds said. With the limited supply of vaccines, the process of distribution will prioritize exposed and vulnerable populations, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT

Dec. 6 – Amazon opened its first fulfillment center in Iowa, a 640,000-square-foot structure in Bondurant. The $250 million project includes a five-story warehouse/distribution/fulfillment center and more than 2,000 parking spaces. Construction of the center originally was projected to be done in July 2021 but Amazon fast-tracked the work.


HEALTH & WELLNESS

Dec. 7 – Des Moines University announced it is extending its capital campaign from the original goal of $25 million to $50 million, making it the largest fundraising campaign in the history of the graduate medical and health sciences university. DMU, which in the fall began construction on an 88-acre site in West Des Moines to replace its Des Moines campus, has already exceeded the original $25 million goal by more than $5 million. 


LAW & GOVERNMENT

Dec. 8 – Davis Brown Law Firm, one of Iowa’s largest law firms, announced it is combining with Dentons, which bills itself as the world’s largest firm. The new partnership is not an acquisition or merger but rather a combining of two firms that will share resources and services, representatives of the two firms said. 


CULTURE

Dec. 10 – The Business Record announced it had formed a racial equity advisory board charged with holding its news team accountable for raising awareness about barriers to racial equity while also elevating community members of color through representation in its coverage and events.


LAW & GOVERNMENT

Dec. 11 – Drake Law School and the state Public Defender’s Office announced they are collaborating to create a Wrongful Convictions Clinic. The clinic, slated to begin in January 2021, will be led by the Iowa Public Defender’s Wrongful Convictions Division. The clinic will allow student attorneys to represent people convicted of serious felonies in post-conviction proceedings. According to State Public Defender Jeff Wright, the Wrongful Convictions Division works closely with the Midwest Innocence Project to assist people who claim they are innocent of a crime for which they were convicted. Erica Nichols Cook, a 2009 Drake Law School grad and director of the Wrongful Conviction Division, will supervise the clinic.