Date set for The Container Store opening
The Container Store will have an opening date of Nov. 19. The 22,000-square-foot store, which will be located in the Mills Crossing retail center on Mills Civic Parkway in West Des Moines, will sell products to organize closets, offices, kitchens, bathrooms and more. The store will occupy the former Fresh Market space, which closed last spring. This is the first store of its kind in Iowa. For more information , visit www.thecontainerstore.com.
Wallace named President/CEO of the West Des Moines Chamber
West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Julie Eliason announced recently that Ed Wallace has been chosen as President/CEO of the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce. Wallace currently serves as deputy director of Iowa Workforce Development. “Ed could recognize we are on a unique trajectory, and he demonstrated a contagious passion to drive us forward into unprecedented territory,” said Eliason. “Ed’s leadership dealing with workforce and tax policy, coupled with his experience serving state and federal government officials provides our members with a president and CEO who understands the real issues businesses face daily.” The organization’s previous president and CEO, Dave Schwartz, departed in May to assume the CEO position of the Greater Des Moines YMCA. Wallace has spent the past five years as Deputy Director and State Workforce Information Administrator for Iowa Workforce Development. Previously he spent four years as president of the nonpartisan Iowa Taxpayers Association, a business tax policy group comprised of more than 160 firms in and around the state of Iowa. Wallace served as an aide to U.S. Attorney Matthew Whitaker in Des Moines and as an aide to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley in the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance in Washington, D.C. Wallace is a native of Iowa City where he attended Iowa City Regina High School. He earned a B.A. degree from Simpson College and an MBA from the Tippie School of Management at the University of Iowa. Wallace began his duties on Aug. 22.
Hy-Vee opens new Ron Pearson Center
After more than a year of construction, Hy-Vee, Inc. has opened the doors to its new conference center in West Des Moines, named The Ron Pearson Center. The 63,000-square-foot facility adjacent to the company’s headquarters includes a state-of-the-art conference hall and history pavilion that highlights the company’s achievements and leaders since its inception 86 years ago. The Ron Pearson Center is named after former Hy-Vee chairman, CEO and president, Ron Pearson. Pearson led the company for 25 years and retired in 2006 after a 46-year Hy-Vee career. The Ron Pearson Center includes a 21,000-square-foot conference hall that can be divided into as many as 10 smaller conference spaces; an 11,000-square-foot history pavilion; state-of-the-art audio and visual technology; a high-tech lighting system including color-changing LEDs; newly remodeled kitchen, serving and seating areas; a mother’s room; a family restroom; and a rose garden. Construction on the project began in March 2015 and was completed in June 2016. The Ron Pearson Center is also available for public events, such as wedding receptions, meetings and conventions, and can accommodate more than 2,200 people.
GuideOne to reduce workforce
GuideOne Insurance in West Des Moines will cut about 73 jobs in the next 18 months as the company stops selling home and auto insurance and focuses on its church coverage. The company, located at 1111 Ashworth Road, had about 710 employees.
Studio Bea Dance ribbon cutting ceremony
A ribbon cutting was held for the Studio Bea Dance, 67 N.E. Carefree Lane in Waukee. Holly Bea Williams is the owner. Willams has instructed dance and tumbling classes at a number of dance and fitness studios in Iowa. She has also worked with city parks and recreation teams in both Minnesota and Iowa. Williams choreographed state cheer and dance routines as well as high school musical and speech teams. Studio Bea Dance offers a variety of classes in group, private and semi-private settings to dancers of all ages and skill levels. For more information, visit www.studiobeadance.com.
West Des Moines invests in business expansion
The City of West Des Moines is expanding an urban renewal district to help provide improvements with an estimated cost of $28 million. Ashworth Road between Jordan Creek Parkway and 98th Street will be widened to five lanes. West Des Moines will also provide $746,000 in tax increment financing to R&R Realty Group for a 75,000-square-foot facility being built at the southeast corner of Woodland Avenue and Jordan Creek Parkway. The building will be leased to INTL FCStone, a financial services firm; and ePATHUSA, a firm that specializes in website and software design.
Waukee council approves development package
The Waukee City Council approved a nearly $3.5 million economic development package for an office development for the new headquarters of Holmes Murphy & Associates. The project will be located on the west side of Grand Prairie Parkway. A 90,000-square-foot, two-story office building is planned.
New development at Kettlestone
At the Aug. 1 Waukee City Council meeting, a development agreement was approved with the City of Waukee, KC Kettlestone, L.C. and Ashworth Properties Development Inc. The agreement pertains to incentives and infrastructure for a 93,740-square-foot, two-story office building to be constructed within the Kettlestone Development along Grand Prairie Parkway north of Ashworth Road. The site plan for the office project was approved by the Waukee City Council on Aug. 15. The project’s construction costs are anticipated to total no less than $27,235,500, and the goal for completion of the building is December 2017. It will be constructed by Knapp Properties, and the space will be leased by a single corporate tenant. The building is designed to take full advantage of the city’s greenbelt and pond system to the north of the site with a main central corridor with full glazed surfacing on either end. The company, of which the name has not been formerly announced, is expected to employ 350 people.
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