Better Opportunities While Remodeling Younkers Building Says Developers

DES MOINES, Iowa By the end of this year developers plan to start remodeling construction on a section of the partially destroyed Younkers Building in downtown Des Moines.

The Madison, Wisconsin based contracting group, the Alexander Company, owns the building. Project developer, David Vos, says the west side of the building will be remodeled to house 60 apartment units, major retail space and office space. Vos says his company hired specialists to restore the ceiling in the buildings 6th floor tea room which will also be expanded.

Fire investigators are unsure what caused the building to catch fire on March 29th.

The most desirable thing was being able to restore the building and keep that history but I think physically there are better opportunities with the building, says Vos.

The west section of the building will no longer be called the Younkers Building but rather the Wilkins Building. That portion of the building was originally named that in the 1920s before the Younkers brothers took ownership of the property.

The project will cost roughly $20 million to complete however developers arent sure what will be done with the east side of the building that was entirely destroyed by the fire.

President of the Downtown Community Alliance, Glenn Lyons, says the progress on the Walnut Street corridor is the momentum downtown needs.

The fire was a big let down and all of our idea for Walnut Street got put on hold while they sorted out the mess and now were moving forward again. This has been a set back but were getting through it.

The Wilkins Building project is expected to be completed in 2015.

Visit link:
Better Opportunities While Remodeling Younkers Building Says Developers