“Quartet Senior Living is such an amazing addition to the Bettendorf community and our team is so excited to show the greater community everything we have to offer,” said Kara Wolf, executive director of Quartet Senior Living, which welcomed its first residents in August. “From fantastic care services to the delicious food and unique amenities, Quartet is designed to meet the changing needs of Bettendorf’s older adults.”

The Woodlands at Canterfield will offer 129 units — 91 for assisted living and 38 for memory care. The upscale facility along Route 31 near Angle Tarn Road is expected to be completed by spring 2023.

The financial center, which opened on May 2, replaces the bank’s Ingersoll Avenue location. The bank is located in a mixed-used building that was developed and built by Nelson Construction & Development. 

For Bank of America, “it’s been a project that’s been in the works for several years,” said Heidi Parkhurst, president of Bank of America Iowa. “When we identified this market for growth, we started looking around the community at where we would want to add facilities. … So we got in on the ground floor — literally.”

That changed Tuesday when the council finally and unanimously approved a rezoning proposal that paves the way for a 120-unit senior living facility and donates 38 acres to the park.

What made the difference this time was the five councilors who changed their vote, and the park-goers and supporters of Hickory Hill Park who voiced their support for this plan in contrast to previous meetings where many spoke against development.

At the Iowa City Council’s Nov. 30 meeting, Jason Napoli, the vice chair of the Friends of Hickory Hill Park, said this is a design that his organization supports due to the parkland that is being given to the city, but the support is contingent on the land being used for Hickory Hill Park.

“We do appreciate the developer’s ecological and community-mindedness of the proposal and also the need of assisted living and memory care in the local area,” he said. “It’s been very clear from Planning and Zoning as well as council for the previous proposal that it is needed.”

Napoli said the acreage being added to the park is an incredible opportunity and is a great responsibility that he hopes the city will partner with the Friends of Hickory Hill Park on, just like the group does with the other 185 acres of the current park.

“This includes maintaining the trail system, advancing native prairie restoration as well as working tirelessly on invasive species removal,” he said.

Councilor Pauline Taylor said at that meeting that approving a plan for this land has been a long process but she was glad to see so much community involvement. Taylor said she would support the project, reversing her previous opposition to the plan.

“It is reassuring to hear from the Friends of Hickory Hill Park that they do support this version,” Taylor said, adding she hopes the developers consider sustainability due to the building’s carbon footprint.

Councilor Susan Mims said she was disappointed that the last proposal didn’t passand that they lost an opportunity for more housing in the city.

She also expressed concern that members of the public who were opposed to previous plans were being “fed misinformation” about the plan developing Hickory Hill park, despite previous versions adding up to 14 acres to the park.

The Planning and Zoning Commission sent the proposal to City Council a month ago after unanimously approving its latest iteration proposed by Nelson Construction and Development.

During the meeting, Andrew Alden with AG Architecture and Nick Bettis with Axiom Consultants showcased a video showing how the building would theoretically look from the park and Scott Boulevard. The Press-Citizen later requested and obtained a copy of the video.

The video appeared to show that from the trail-level and on Scott Boulevard, the building would not be visible because of its location and trees blocking the view.

In a statement sent to the Press-Citizen on Friday, Alden, Nelson Construction and Development said it is excited to bring assisted living and memory care services to Iowa City once the project gets final approval.

“In an act of good stewardship and out of a desire to be good neighbors to Hickory Hill Park and the Iowa City community, Nelson is donating the remaining approximately 39 acres to be preserved forever as part of Hickory Hill Park,” the statement said.

Another adjustment that was made was increasing the height of the building from 40 to 42 feet to account for space needed between floors for air ducts for higher airflows and filtration systems. These changes were made to account for best practices learned for senior living facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alden and Bettis said if everything goes according to plan and barring any delays, construction could finish by 2025.

Councilor John Thomas, who is a board member of the Friends of Hickory Hill Park, said this process helped him learn how much the community cares about the park.

“It is an extremely important element in the community that has been dramatically strengthened by this project,” he said.

The updated proposal for rezoning the 48.75-acre plot northeast of the park is scaled back from previous plans, and devotes nearly three times more land to the city park.

Hickory Trail Estates, a senior living facility, would be built on 8.85 acres at the southeast corner of the plot. The facility would have 120 continuing care retirement community units with a total of 134 beds.

The development is expected to be constructed and fully occupied by 2025 if approved by the Iowa City Council, according to documents in the agenda.

The remaining nearly 40 acres would be dedicated to the city for public open space and expansion of Hickory Hill Park. This would increase the park’s size by about 21 percent, according to the city.

Residents have opposed previous plans for the project, proposed by Axiom Consultants and Nelson Development, that included single-family homes. The third iteration of the proposal was ultimately rejected by the Iowa City Council.

The most recent proposal does not include the single-family housing.

Board chair Michael Hensch and member Susan Craig emphasized their support for a senior living facility and the increase in park land. Hensch said there is a “strong need in the community” for a senior living facility.

Vice-chair Mark Signs brought up how the developer has spent “tens of thousands of dollars satisfying the community, satisfying the commission, satisfying the city council.”

“There’s a reason builders are not building in Iowa City, and they’re building in all the communities around us,” Signs said. “I think we as a commission, we as a council, we as a community, have to understand that there are ramifications. And if we don’t grow, our taxes will grow to maintain the services that we are asked to do today.”

Hensch added he is concerned about the lack of housing diversity, specifically multifamily homes.

“We have to make hard choices to add to our housing diversity, and a lot of people will not be happy with that, but there’s only one way for that to happen — we’ve got to build places for people to live.”

Parks and Recreation staff support the expansion and will consider uses for the parkland during the department’s planning process, the city’s associate planner Ray Heitner said.

The Friends of Hickory Hill reiterated their support at Thursday’s meeting.

Laura Goddard, treasurer of the nonprofit’s board of directors, said the group’s support is contingent on the land being deeded to the city and being incorporated into the park.

“We are glad this proposal will both provide needed assisted living facilities and maintain the integrity of an important and beloved natural space,” Goddard said.

Goddard said the back and forth process has been a “good example of community involvement and voices being heard.”

The proposal could come before the city council for first consideration during the Nov. 30 meeting, Heitner said.

The updated proposal for rezoning the 48.75-acre plot northeast of the park is scaled back from previous plans, and devotes nearly three times more land to the city park.

Hickory Trail Estates, a senior living facility, would be built on 8.85 acres at the southeast corner of the plot. The facility would have 120 continuing care retirement community units with a total of 134 beds.

The development is expected to be constructed and fully occupied by 2025 if approved by the Iowa City Council, according to documents in the agenda.

The remaining nearly 40 acres would be dedicated to the city for public open space and expansion of Hickory Hill Park. This would increase the park’s size by about 21 percent, according to the city.

Residents have opposed previous plans for the project, proposed by Axiom Consultants and Nelson Development, that included single-family homes. The third iteration of the proposal was ultimately rejected by the Iowa City Council.

The most recent proposal does not include the single-family housing.

Board chair Michael Hensch and member Susan Craig emphasized their support for a senior living facility and the increase in park land. Hensch said there is a “strong need in the community” for a senior living facility.

Vice-chair Mark Signs brought up how the developer has spent “tens of thousands of dollars satisfying the community, satisfying the commission, satisfying the city council.”

“There’s a reason builders are not building in Iowa City, and they’re building in all the communities around us,” Signs said. “I think we as a commission, we as a council, we as a community, have to understand that there are ramifications. And if we don’t grow, our taxes will grow to maintain the services that we are asked to do today.”

Hensch added he is concerned about the lack of housing diversity, specifically multifamily homes.

“We have to make hard choices to add to our housing diversity, and a lot of people will not be happy with that, but there’s only one way for that to happen — we’ve got to build places for people to live.”

Parks and Recreation staff support the expansion and will consider uses for the parkland during the department’s planning process, the city’s associate planner Ray Heitner said.

The Friends of Hickory Hill reiterated their support at Thursday’s meeting.

Laura Goddard, treasurer of the nonprofit’s board of directors, said the group’s support is contingent on the land being deeded to the city and being incorporated into the park.

“We are glad this proposal will both provide needed assisted living facilities and maintain the integrity of an important and beloved natural space,” Goddard said.

Goddard said the back and forth process has been a “good example of community involvement and voices being heard.”

The proposal could come before the city council for first consideration during the Nov. 30 meeting, Heitner said.

A building permit valued at $1.5 million was issued in August for construction work in the street-level space.

“Covid turned our business upside down,” Christin Prince, senior vice president of marketing for Tupelo Honey, wrote in an email. “We had to put all growth plans on hold until we were able to figure out our new normal. … Since then, we have experienced some construction delays due to lack of the necessary building supplies being available in a timely manner.”

Prince wrote that the restaurant company, based in Asheville, N.C., was attracted to Des Moines because of its growth potential.

“We look for cities that have high growth expectations and vibrant culture scenes and Des Moines fit that description,” she wrote.

The restaurant will have inside seating for about 174 people; a patio will seat 44, according to plans filed with the building permit. Prince wrote that the interior design of the restaurant is still being finalized. “We try to find design and art elements that pay homage to their new hometowns and incorporate that into our overall aesthetic,” she wrote.

Tupelo Honey, which typically serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, has restaurants in 11 states. The downtown Des Moines restaurant will be the group’s first Iowa location.

The Miesblock building is next to the historic Mies van der Rohe Catholic Pastoral Center. The building’s design resembles that of the center, which was built in 1962 and originally housed the Home Federal Savings and Loan, according to IowaArchitecture.org.

The three-story Miesblock building, designed by BNIM Architects, includes a distinct-looking curtain wall that wraps around a portion of the upper floors. The street-level portion of the building that fronts Grand Avenue includes mostly glass.

The $11 million project was developed by Nelson Construction & Development.

More information about the building can be found here.

The Village approved the project in March of 2020 and the developer acquired the 9-acre land, a former apple orchard, a month later. While the pandemic has delayed the construction timeline, Woodlands at Canterfield is expected to come online in April 2023.

The community will take shape at the southwest corner of Angle Tarn and South Eighth Street and will feature 91 assisted living units and 40 memory care units. Planned floorplans include a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom configurations across one-, two- and three-story wood-frame buildings.

Planned community amenities, encompassing 16,000 square feet, include a fitness center, spa, salon, pub along with a clubroom. The property will also include 92 parking spots.

The development is within walking distance of the South Eighth Street retail corridor, roughly a mile from the Jelke Creek Bird Sanctuary, less than 2 miles from Judson University. The Suburban Chicago project is less than 2 miles from Interstate 90.

The 131-unit property is slated for a 2023 delivery.

Alexander Grgurich, Director of Development and Chief Operating Officer, was a featured speaker of the tour and gave riders a look at the project, inside and out.

Nelson is excited about the continued construction of Rowat Lofts and bringing historic elements into the design of modern new-construction developments in Des Moines, Iowa. Rowat Lofts is eager to welcome its first tenants September 1, 2019.

Annual Economic Development Bike Tour Resource:

Traditionally, structured parking requires an immense investment of capital because of the extremely high construction costs to achieve multi-level parking ramps. Developers outside of major US cities are often forced to try and provide this parking with extremely low parking rents and the financial pro forma does not work as a viable project.

Faced with this challenge, Director of Development and Chief Operating Officer, Alexander Grgurich, started breaking down what drives the costs of structured parking and how the project team could deliver a cost effective parking solution that would work within the financial constraints of a pro forma. His idea to carve into a downtown hillside takes advantage of natural grade changes to provide three levels of parking that do not connect with each other, allowing each level to have its own entry and exit point on a different adjacent street. This cuts costs of ramping within the structure and relies on structural integrity of the surrounding hillside to reduce costs. This approach allowed the project to achieve a $21,379.63 construction cost per stall, a record low for structured parking in the greater Des Moines market.

Floors two and three of the ramp will be used by local residents, nearby office workers, and Capitol Hill Lutheran Church. Floor one of the ramp is being leased by the City of Des Moines and will provide hourly parking to the public in order to satisfy the high demand for parking in the bustling East Village part of downtown.

Nelson is a developer that continues to listen to the community and its members, and is then capable to turn those thoughts into innovative and unprecedented solutions that solve existing problems for tenants and community members alike.

Nelson was extremely proud to be the most active developer mentioned in the real estate portion of the luncheon, with project highlights for Miesblock, Rowat Lofts, E555 parking garage, 418 E Grand mixed-use, and the Home2 Suites by Hilton next to Drake University.

Nelson Construction & Development team member, Jennifer Reed, has been heavily involved as a member of the NAWIC Iowa Chapter for two years and has seen the organization grow from 12 to 50 members. She observes the role for women in construction only growing with industry-related change, and feels that it is important to cultivate a younger generation of female leaders.

The group is continually looking to positively influence the younger generation of females in educational institutions as a way to shed light on Women In Construction and present them with opportunities to grow and learn. We at Nelson are extremely proud of Jennifer and her leadership within this organization and look forward to supporting the effort to engage more women in our industry.

The Des Moines Register highlighted the project in a First Look excerpt, outlining some of the historical significance behind the development, as well as its details and amenities.

Nelson decided to salvage the crane derrick from the original stone company, and repurpose it into a landscape element into the courtyard while sprinkling historic stone throughout the site into benches and other site amenities.

Rowat Lofts will feature 162 studio, one, and two-bedroom apartments that will span the length of East Market Street. We are excited to pioneer new development in the market district while paying homage to some of Des Moines’ great history. Nelson anticipates opening these apartments in September 2019.

Nelson is honored to be awarded the global “Adaptive Reuse of the Year” award from Hyatt Hotels for the work done renovating the Custom House building in St. Paul, Minnesota. Hyatt is a global leader in the hospitality sector and it is humbling to be selected from a great pool of exceptional projects around the world. The work to turn a former US Post Office and Custom House building into a 149-room Hyatt Place brings a new and dynamic product to the Saint Paul market and is deeply rewarding. Nelson is excited to continue their work with Hyatt, renovating prominent historic structures and breathing new life into them with entirely new uses for the future.

Nelson is eager to take development outside of downtown and into the neighborhoods of Greater Des Moines. The Home2 Suites branded hotel by Hilton will feature an innovative combination between a modern extended stay hotel with retail and restaurant spaces along University Avenue. The Drake University neighborhood is full of dynamic growth and change and Nelson is thrilled to be a part of the new developments in the area.

Nelson is excited to have multiple projects on a the Des Moines Register’s Notable List of developments for 2017, and begin to shift development from downtown and into the neighborhoods. The Miesblock Node and office space is located on Seventh and Grand, and the Home2 Suites Hilton and mixed-use is located on 26^th and University. Both were mentioned alongside other innovative developments in the area. Nelson is honored to be mentioned alongside some of the other developments that are bringing change to Greater Des Moines.

The story details the $125 million Custom House project, both the Hyatt Place hotel below and the luxury rental apartments above. As the Lowertown neighborhood of St. Paul continues to grow and develop, we look forward to welcoming guests to the new Hyatt Place hotel.

Nelson is eager to expand into the growing residential area of La Vista, Nebraska with a modern senior living community. The newly announced senior living project was featured in the Omaha World Herald and outlined some of its unique elements and amenities that will cater to a new generation of senior residents. Adding the La Vista Senior Living community to its existing portfolio of historic projects in Omaha, Nelson is excited to continue its work in the great cities of Nebraska and become a member of the La Vista community.

Nelson is continually motivated by solving problems for community members and residents, and looks forward to learning from the resident’s responses to amenities at Bici Flats and applying those thoughts to future projects.

With a large quantity of residents in downtown Des Moines being “urban active”, Bici Flats allows residents direct access to bicycle-friendly amenities and direct connections to downtown and another nearby recreational areas.

See the feature on Bici Flats on pages 16 and 17 of the ULI Publication.

Video Credit: Studio Iowa

Bici Flats will grant residents access to many public trails and other recreational areas in close proximity. With the growing demand for active transportation in the city, Nelson was deliberate about the amenities that it offered to residents.

Bici Flats will feature a bicycle storage space, in-unit bike storage, wider hallways for more relaxed movement within the space, and a bicycle working room with tools.

Nelson is excited to learn from this development and how residents interact with the amenities, and is motivated by solving problems for community members and residents.

There wasn’t a program or agenda, we were able to just reconnect with 80+ friends and take some time to connect outside of the “business” of everyday work. As we push forward into 2014, we’re finding that we do our best, most innovative work when we can keep in touch with colleagues and take time out to stop and think for a bit.

We’ve posted a few pictures here, but check out Curgo’s Facebook page for even more shots of the fun time.

Nelson Construction & Development joined First Hospitality Group to transform the landmark Old Federal Building in Omaha into a stunning 152-room Residence Inn by Marriott. The building at the southwest corner of 15th and Dodge Streets was erected in 1933 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, and designed by the renowned architects Thomas R. Kimball and George B. Prinz.

This $23 million project retains the architectural elements of the 120,000-square-foot, 12-story Stripped Classical/Art Deco structure. Period details that include terrazzo tile floors, wooden railings, and marble features are being preserved. The building’s historical significance – it was home to federal branches including the Army Corps of Engineers, District Court and FBI – is highlighted with the three vault doors that create a focal point in the main commons area and hearth room.

Guests in the extended-stay style accommodations enjoy modern furnishings and amenities, including full kitchens, a fitness room and game center. A patio on the building’s north side features a fire pit overlooking the First National Bank sculpture park. The 1,000-square-foot penthouse boasts panoramic views of Omaha. Nearly 2,000 square feet of meeting space are included in the plans.

The Fleming Building

The Fleming Building, located at 218 Sixth Avenue, is in the heart of the downtown. Built in 1909, the 11-story structure was designed by Daniel Burnham, a world-renowned American architect of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Owners Mike Nelson and BJ Baker, with the help of Nelson Construction & Development, have transformed a historic, century-old downtown office building into a revitalized mixed-use structure that will add 5,000 square-feet of retail space on Walnut Street and 95 residential units to downtown Des Moines. The project will benefit the metro area as a whole, but will be especially helpful in strengthening the downtown, an important plus for Des Moines because a strong downtown is essential to the success of any community.

Owners Mike Nelson and BJ Baker, with the help of Nelson Construction & Development, have transformed a historic, century-old downtown office building into a revitalized mixed-use structure that will add 5,000 square-feet of retail space on Walnut Street and 95 residential units to downtown Des Moines. The project will benefit the metro area as a whole, but will be especially helpful in strengthening the downtown core, of great importance for Des Moines because a strong downtown is essential to the success of any community.

September 8, 2011 – The Center on Sustainable Communities held a luncheon today to discuss sustainable commercial development. It was our pleasure to have Mike Nelson, President of Nelson Construction, speak on the insights gained from working on numerous downtown revitalization projects and the changing nature of commercial development. The event was well attended and also included a great presentation from Larry James Jr. of Hogan Law Office, discussing legal issues involved in the use of historic tax credits. The audience had a great list of questions and we want to thank COSC and the Greater Des Moines Partnership for allowing us the opportunity to be a part of this event.

Plans for the building include 145 market-rate apartment units, two floors of commercial space, and creation of a “pocket park” to highlight a new restaurant and outdoor projection and sculpture area (pictured at left).

Nelson Foutch Development is honored to have been selected by the City Council of Des Moines to breathe new life into this great structure. We would also like to thank City staff and all those involved in the proposal process for their time and effort.

Be sure to visit our site again for update renderings, project developments, and news regarding this project.

June 24, 2011 – The Des Moines Business Record reported this week that the City of Des Moines has recognized Nelson Development for their work in historic preservation of the Hawkeye Transfer Building. Nelson Construction is proud of the work involved in transforming the warehouse into a modern loft building known as AP Lofts. We are very grateful to all those that supported us in this project and look forward to contributing to future projects in downtown Des Moines’ renaissance.