DES MOINES, IA - The variety of housing styles Des Moines offers has brought new residents to the city since 2004, reversing a trend of declining population in the state's capital. The federal census, which tracked population growth in Iowa cities as of July 2007, shows Des Moines has nearly 197,000 residents. That is a gain of a half percent over 2006, but still a 1 percent decrease from the population in 2000. The number of residents hit its decade high of about 200,500 in 2003, then dropped to just over 194,000 in 2004.
Des Moines' growth in the recent census, while it lags behind neighboring suburbs, is most likely because of the variety of lifestyles it has to offer, said Larry Hulse, Des Moines community development director. "I'd attribute it a lot to the wide choice of housing in this area, and most recently in downtown, for more choices in lifestyle," Hulse said. "The more choices, the better for the city."
Redevelopment of old housing by nonprofit agencies such as Habitat for Humanity and development of vacant properties around the city also have provided a variety of housing costs and styles, he said.
An increase in the availability of apartments, lofts and condos in and around downtown has been dramatic. The population growth since 2001 is estimated at 1,900, said Michael Ludwig, city planning administrator. In that same time, about 1,700 new housing units have been added downtown and an additional 1,000 are planned.
The southern part of the city has seen steady growth for several years and has been on the leading edge of development. Since January 2001, the area south of the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers from west of Southwest 63rd Street to the eastern city boundary saw more than 2,250 dwelling units built. More than 2,000 are under construction or proposed for the area.
Among the proposed developments are Harvest Hills, a 217-acre area at Southeast 45th Street and Army Post Road, a mix of single-family and multifamily homes and commercial space; Deer Ridge Valley, with 19 units, at McKinley and Stanton avenues; and Southern Ridge, a 128-acre site at County Line Road and Southwest Ninth Street that was delayed by attempts to halt tree cutting and to find ways to incorporate trees into the development. Plans call for 241 single-family lots, and neighborhood commercial development.
Eric McGarrah, 36, who lives near Easter Lake, moved to the south side six years ago from Memphis, Tenn. He said he was drawn there because of the city's tax abatement on houses and reasonably priced homes in an attractive development. McGarrah said he and his wife were sold when they found it was in the Carlisle school district. "We like the idea of our kids going to a smaller community where the kids knew everybody," he said. "We wanted that type of environment for our children."
Other bonuses, he said, include having a lake nearby, a low crime rate, lots of children in the area, and being close to shopping. "There has been growth in our neighborhood, but what I'm not observing is increases in travel time and congestion," he said. "One of the things they did was put in a turn lane at the end of Easter Lake Drive, so now if there's a back-up, there are no significant delays in getting to work."
Having options for downtown living can be attractive to transplants who are used to city living, said Lisa Howard, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker who is a leasing agent for many units in the East Village. "A lot of people who relocate here are used to urban living," she said. "I also see a lot of empty-nesters who are downsizing." Moving to a downtown loft wasn't on the radar when Connie Campbell decided to move to Des Moines from Arizona, but she says she loves the lifestyle.
Campbell, 61, lived in suburbs most of her life. S
Source: DesMoinesRegister.com