Development Projects
Drake University approaches local economic development through community wealth building strategies. In recent years, Drake University has had an increased economic impact by repurposing under-utilized real estate for redevelopment, collaborating with nonprofit, public and private entities for neighborhood vitality, and leveraging resources to encourage a more walkable, transit-friendly community. The following are recent and ongoing projects, representing significant economic development:
Drake University and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa opened the Gregory & Suzie Glazer Burt Club August 23, 2019, a 21,000 square foot facility on the southwest corner of 25th St. and Forest Ave. This is only the second Boys & Girls Club in the nation located on a private college or university campus. The Burt Club serves more than 200 youth, providing kids and teens in our community with a safe, supportive place to be after school and during the summer, structured programs, and caring staff role models. Additionally, the Club provides numerous educational and service opportunities for Drake’s students and further integrates the University with the surrounding neighborhood.
Discover how the renovation of the Tom and Ruth Harkin Center transformed a historic building into an innovative, universally designed space for public engagement and learning.
In June 2019, Drake University announced it is selling land adjacent to campus as part of a major development project. Drake will sell and lease parcels totaling more than four acres, constituting two city blocks between 25th and 24th streets in the Dogtown area, to Merge Urban Development Group (Merge) of Cedar Falls, Iowa. The property is bordered by University Avenue to the south and Forest Avenue to the north. This development represents an investment exceeding $63 million constructing new apartments, townhomes, commercial space, and parking.
“Dogtown is about to be one of the most exciting places in central Iowa,” Drake University President Marty Martin said. “This investment is going to bring new businesses, new residents, and new energy to the neighborhood—and realize the potential of the University Avenue commercial corridor and Dogtown culture and arts district. It will help create a walkable, vibrant hub of retail and restaurant options for the neighborhood and for Drake’s almost 5,000 students, more than 1,000 employees and more than 200,000 annual visitors.”
Plans for the development include construction of several five-story apartment buildings totaling an estimated approximately 300 residential units on the city block between 24th and 25th streets, bordered by Carpenter Avenue to the north and University Avenue to the south. Four of the buildings will include a total of more than 30,000 square feet of lower-level commercial space fronting University Avenue and 25th Street. The project also includes a parking structure north of Carpenter Avenue that will serve residents, campus commuters, and the general public.
Des Moines firm Slingshot Architecture is designing the development, which will incorporate features to match the aesthetic of the university’s Mid-Century Modern architecture and other neighborhood buildings. Merge has identified this project as a unique candidate for mass timber construction, a sustainable and environmentally friendly construction technology alternative to steel and concrete.
Mediacom Stadium is the result of a powerful vision: what’s possible when a university and its community invest in shared success. Built on land provided by Drake University and shaped through collaboration with Des Moines Public Schools, the stadium redefines what a modern, inclusive athletic facility can be.
The Broadlawns Community Clinic at Drake reflects Drake University’s commitment to strengthening community well-being through purposeful collaboration. In partnership with Broadlawns Medical Center, the clinic increases access to high-quality, affordable healthcare for both the Drake community and the surrounding neighborhood.