A 125-year-old former warehouse in downtown Des Moines is undergoing a historic renovation.

A building permit for the restoration of the Davidson Warehouse at 108 Third St. was issued in March. The 33,540-square-foot, three-story building was constructed in 1901 with additions completed in 1912, according to city documents.

The building originally was a wholesale grocery warehouse for the Davidson Brothers Co. Later, as the downtown area changed, the structure was repurposed for office space.

Jeff Stanbrough, president of Stanbrough Realty Co. in Urbandale, acquired the property in 2022.

Stanbrough explored several restoration options of the building including converting it to multifamily, according to a city document. He opted to continue using the space for office.

Renovation work will include updates to all heating and air conditioning equipment and electrical service. Fire sprinklers will be added; an elevator and windows will be replaced; and masonry refinished.

In addition, new tenant common areas will be created including an onsite fitness facility, according to LoopNet. The building has 14-foot-high ceilings, exposed mass timber and on the street level, large arch-top windows.

The building permit valued the project at $3 million. The project team includes Simonson and Associate Architects, AKAY Consulting, Civil Design Advantage, Durantem MPA Consulting and Hildreth Construction.

In February, the Des Moines City Council approved an urban renewal development agreement with Stanbrough that includes up to $1.3 million in project generated tax increment financing.

Construction is expected to take about seven months to complete.

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.