When Jeff Davis began construction of his first condominium project in 2005, he did it with a mix of entrepreneurialism and pragmatism.

“We needed an office and a place to store all our toys,” the 39-year-old vice president of Davis Realty Co. said.

Calling it a test run, Davis wrapped up the project in West Des Moines Business Park in 2006. Originally intended to be leased as high-end contractors’ storage units, Davis sold one of the two buildings to an individual buyer, leased out two units in the other building to a pair of business owners who needed personal storage space, and retained one of the condos for his Davis Realty office.

Starting with a 2,500-square-foot shell, Davis built out the space to include two bathrooms, a fireplace, a full kitchen, a smokers lounge, an RV garage full of collectibles, a second-floor party/conference room with a plasma television, and a two-car garage that houses his 2004 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG.

The process not only fulfilled the need for new office space, but helped him develop a concept he is now taking to Waukee.

“I really want to design a superior concept on this one,” Davis said, referring to his latest venture, Autoplex Condominiums, currently under construction at Westgate Business Park.

With nine units ranging in size between 1,250 and 1,750 square feet, Davis hopes to show potential buyers that possibilities for the spaces are virtually limitless.

“There are many, many things they can do to these units,” he said, such as high-end finish work, office space, a conference room or a party room.

He envisions the Autoplex as a place where owners can store their car collections, boats, motorcycles, RVs and other high-end collectibles, as well as a spot to connect.

“I’ve seen it done around the country where they take and buy one unit and put in a bar, and a poker table and big-screen TVs,” said Rod Davis, president of Davis Realty and Jeff Davis’ father.

Touting the condos as a type of boys’ club for people who can afford nice things, Jeff Davis is marketing the units to high-profile clients for whom “money is no object” and who want to be seen.

It’s “a getaway for these guys,” he said, adding, “it’s going to become a nice networking opportunity for agents, doctors” and other professionals.

Jeff Davis has a list of potential buyers who have identified units they may be interested in, “but it’s tough to sell them something that’s not there,” he said.

“Once we get the steel beams up and the thing framed in, it will be a little more exciting for them to come out and take a look at it.”

“We should start erecting the beams in October and have it fully enclosed and ready for marketing purposes by the first of the year,” he said, adding that he plans to “combine all these different efforts into a model unit” and hold an open house early in 2009.

Jeff Davis is also poised to break ground on a third venture in the spring, another condo project in Johnston that will be marketed as “contractor condominiums.” Rather than Corvettes and Bayliner boats, Davis said, the flex-space development in Johnston Business Park will be best suited as a place for small contractors or business owners to park their skid loaders or trailers, with the possibility of outdoor storage as well.

By the time that’s completed, Davis will have approximately $3.5 million invested in land and construction costs among the three developments.

He said he has already received a fair return on his initial investment and is working hard to brand and market the concept, which he hopes to eventually take to other areas in the Midwest.

“If this product works, I would take the same buildings, the same colors, the same logos – like any other franchise – that whole concept would be placed somewhere else.”