A building permit was issued in January for the construction of nearly 1.4 million square feet of manufacturing space for Robinson Inc., a Wisconsin-based custom metal manufacturer that is expanding into Altoona.

The permit was one of eight issued in January in the Greater Des Moines area for new commercial projects, according to a Business Record review of permits issued by Polk County and 13 communities. The permits estimated the value of the new projects at over $508.7 million, the review showed.

Robinson Inc. currently has facilities in De Pere and Manitowoc, Wis. The company creates metal fabricated products for the industries of food processing, energy, pulp and paper, oil and gas, heavy equipment and military and defense, according to its website.

The company is building the new plant on about 60 acres at 2560 42nd St. NW in Altoona.

The expansion is expected to create at least 100 new jobs, city and state officials have said.

The permit valued construction of the project at $56.6 million.

Other permits issued in January for new commercial projects include one for the construction of a 244,676-square-foot data center in Microsoft Inc.’s Ginger West campus at 11100 Booneville Road in West Des Moines. The permit valued the project at $385 million. A permit was also issued for phase 1B of the terminal project at the Des Moines International Airport. The permit valued the project at $59.3 million.

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More online: View an interactive map of building permits for new commercial construction projects as well as tenant improvements and remodels.

View a spreadsheet of building permits issued for new projects, tenant improvements and remodels. 

Also available online is an interactive map of commercial building permits issued in 2025 and a spreadsheet of the permits.