Altoona plans for busy retail construction season

Altoona is on the edge of a commercial development explosion, some of which is on the books and some lurking around the fringes.

Construction will begin next spring on the much-anticipated outlet mall at the Shoppes at Prairie Crossing, a 175-acre retail, entertainment, residential and commercial center south of Bass Pro Shops along the U.S. Highway 65 bypass.

And within the next few months, work should begin on a 12-screen movie theater on 15 acres across from Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino on Altoonas northwest side.

The two highly visible projects are attracting attention from businesses interested in joining the development wave.

Everybodys very secretive about what they want to do, but we have development questions coming into our office all the time, said Jeff Mark, Altoonas city administrator. And when both projects are under construction, there will be even more interest.

The city has long been a draw for visitors seeking entertainment at Prairie Meadows, Adventureland amusement park, and the nearby Iowa State Fairgrounds. And the new $300 million Facebook data center on the north side of Interstate Highway 80 has helped put the city in the spotlight.

This is only the tip of the retail iceberg, Mark said.

The Shoppes at Prairie Crossing is being developed by Quad Cities businessman Mike Whalen and his Heart of America Group. The site has been primed for several years with $10 million in streets, water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, street lighting and grading provided by the city. Last summer, Heart of America opened the developments first tenant, Johnnys Italian Steakhouse.

HOA announced last spring that New England Development of Newton, Mass., planned to build a 325,000-square-foot open-air outlet mall on the property starting in 2015. The project will include about 75 retailers in spaces ranging from 800 square feet to 20,000 square feet, said Michael Barelli, vice president of development for New England Development.

The project is on schedule although the price tag is growing. Construction costs are increasing because of all the construction activity in the market, Barelli said.

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Altoona plans for busy retail construction season