The Downtown Community Alliance (DCA) once again put their mind to an easy way to make something ugly beautiful. For the last few years, since Younkers moved out of the previous flagship store downtown, this skywalk area has been pretty dismal. Walkers were always greeted by a wall of black plastic covering the insides of the old main Younkers skywalk entrance, but as of last week, walkers now see a nice image of the city at night. Thanks again to the DCA!.

I saw this photo of Google Map inspired carpeting in the Sacramento Airport. I know there are some areas in our skywalk system that badly need new carpet. This could be a novel idea.

There was a great article in Sunday’s Des Moines Register by David Elbert that talked about the redevelopment efforts that have been going on downtown. You can find the full text of the article here. The sidebar to the article had the biggest meaning to me, here’s what was included in it:

Des Moines’ downtown still faces a number of challenges, including:

COMPLETING THE RIVERFRONT: The biggest piece missing from the riverfront plan today is the World Food Prize Headquarters. City officials expect next month to turn over the keys of the former riverfront library to the World Food Prize organization, which plans to spend nearly $30 million to convert the century-old building into a headquarters that will include elaborate riverfront landscaping. The group still needs to raise about $5 million, but construction is expected to begin before year’s end.

HOUSING AND RETAIL: Retail development traditionally follows housing, so the emphasis is on housing. In 2002, a goal was set to add 6,000 downtown housing units. So far, the total is fewer than 1,500. New developments are being planned for an area south of Court Avenue called the Lower East Village and another location called Gray’s Landing between Southwest Ninth and 16th streets south of the MLK bypass. With the current economy, it could be years before either development begins.

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I know I’m not the first to express this, but it is inconceivable to me that Wells Fargo Arena does not even exist on the current skywalk signage or directories. The facility has been open for over 3 and a half years and if an out-of-towner looks at the signs to find the arena-well it just doesn’t exist.

I swear, if I wouldn’t get arrested for defacing public property (could I call it art?), I’m going to take a label maker down there and just start adding Wells Fargo Arena to all the directories and over-head signs!

Actually I’m trying to find out when and where the next meeting of the “Des Moines SkywalkCommittee” is to be held and hope to attend. I know the skywalks are a unique combination of public and private interests but the public sector hasn’t accomplished anything on this in way to long a time.

Earlier this week, I was featured in an article, Walking Warm Through the Winter, in the Des Moines Register. The article focused on the usefulness of the skywalk, especially during the winter. Here’s a few excerpts:

The downtown skywalk has taken heat over the years for killing pedestrian street traffic. But talk to skywalk fitness walkers. During this bitter winter, they don’t have broken hips, frostbite or have to wear Arctic gear just to stay warm.

Those elevated hallways tying together miles of downtown buildings are a viable weekend walking trail that more are utilizing. If you stretch the core skywalk hallways end to end it’s 3.1 miles.

Larry Bradshaw, 40, puts in an hour walking both on Saturday and Sunday as well as a couple nights a week. “Sometimes friends come down and we power walk on weekends,” he said. The skywalk is Bradshaw’s main form of transportation since moving to a downtown condo a year ago from West Des Moines. His car doesn’t run for days at a time, as he walks to work at Wells Fargo.

Legions of downtown workers use it for walking during lunch hour, smartly dressed in their skirts, hose and blinding-white walking sneakers, their arms pumping. It’s a little quieter on weekends but many take advantage of the free parking to get in exercise without having to brace against frigid air.

But to get to my point about hint’s of skywalk expansion, the article includes:

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Skywalk Golf presented by The Principal Charity Classic returns on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009, in downtown Des Moines’ skywalks. Early bird registration is almost over, Friday is the last day to register for $25.00. The event will take place from 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

This event is often billed as the world’s largest indoor miniature golf tournament, the Skywalk Golf Tournament in Des Moines encompases four 18-hole miniature golf courses laid out inside the skywalk.

Each registered golfer recieves one round of Skywalk Golf, an official 2009 Skywalk Golf long-sleeved t-shirt, and a commemorative golf ball for play that day. As a bonus this year, each registered golfer also receives a ticket good for any day to The Principal Charity Classic.

This year they’ve even added a new course, you can check it out and all the courses by downloading the course map.

I know it may be wishful thinking, but here’s my list of businesses that I would like to see come to downtown in 2009. With the renewed interest in building affordable apartment housing downtown, there will be more people living downtown to support these businesses.

Dining Options

My first choice is a place that I loved to eat in South Florida on a weekly basis, Chicken Kitchen. I think this business would do wonderfully as an addition to downtown core. To me, one of the strangest things about moving to Des Moines from Florida is the lack of grilled or rotisserie chicken places. In South Florida, between Chicken Kitchen, Boston Market and Polio Tropical, we would have choices every few blocks. I can just imagine all of the downtown workers would love a new healthy, but fast food choice for lunch. What about a 2-level location, for dining on both skywalk level and street level like in other large cities?

My second choice is Wendy’s. Is Wendy’s just scared of downtown? Do you know how far you have to drive to get to one? The major fast-food franchises are just poorly represented, in my opinion, downtown. Of course you have Burger King, great location, but would it kill them to stay open past 5pm in the evenings and open up on the weekends? If Quizno’s can stay open past 5pm and be open on the weekends, then I think Burger King, who draws a lot larger crowd would be able to make the money to make it work. Now, we have a McDonalds, but only if you want to drive up behind the Capitol. How about a new McDonalds and their sister company, Chipolte, opening up in the Davis Brown Building, or in the retail floors of the new Allied Building, or even in the retail floor of the Gateway Apartments Building? I of course prefer, skywalk access, but a closer downtown location within walking would be great!

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A recent column in the Des Moines Register, Elbert: What works and what needs work in downtown Des Moines? included some thoughts on the skywalk. According to the article, the number one area to improve downtown is the skywalk system.

Some hate them and believe they kill street level business, some love them, but just want them updated. I’m with the second crowd. Here’s my personal opinion:

I have to throw my two cents in here as a downtown resident and worker. The skywalk system is something I use everyday and having lived a lot of cities, this is one thing that makes Des Moines unique. When friends come from out of town they always comment on how great it its.

Yes, I’ve said many times in my blog that it needs a major overhaul, which doesn’t all have to come from a huge budget. I’ve presented ideas as simple as donating blank white walls as canvases to local schools art departments, to local artists, photographers, etc.

I don’t buy into the argument that the skywalk has cut off street level retail on the weekends. Very few businesses are even open on the skywalk level on weekends and the system is pretty dead up there on the weekends, so I don’t believe that the streets are empty because everyone is up in the skywalk.

On nice warm days, a lot of us that use the skywalks go outside to travel also.

Here’s an example of where getting used to the skywalk system can burn you. This past week it has been really cold, so when a friend came over to hang out we decided we use the skywalk to go down to Sarpino’s around 8pm to pick up a pizza. We were going to take the skywalk the whole way there only to realize that the doors in the Griffin building lock after a certain time and you can’t get down to street level, so we ended up going out the front doors of the Hubbell building next door.

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A long time restaurant on the skywalk, Something Italian, is now offering pizza-by-the-slice on Friday nights, from 5pm to 9pm.

Something Italian is located on the skywalk level inside the Kirkwood Hotel Commons Lobby. If you’ve never eaten there, and I can’t imagine you haven’t, it always smells so good walking by there, is open Monday through Friday from 11am to 2pm and the new Friday evening hours. They serve pizza, pasta, sandwichs and salads.

In addition to pizza-by-the-slice, you can order a whole pie by calling ahead at 515-243-2928 or by just stopping in. They offer both eat-in service or take it to go. Check out their most popular, the Papa Luigi, a supreme pizza with pepperoni, sausage and vegetables.

Brilliant Sky Toys and Books   Kaleidoscope at the Hub; 699 Walnut Street Suite 233 Phone: 515-288-4689 Website: www.brilliantskytoys.com Current Hours: Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm Saturday 10am – 2pm Sunday Closed

Brilliant Sky Toys and Books just opened a couple of weeks ago on the skywalk level of the Kaleidscope Mall. The East Lansing, Michigan based company is all about values, focusing on providing the finest toys, games and books to enrich, enlighten, and entertain the families of our community. The store specializes in gifts for the 12 and under age and is affiliated with TreeHouse Toys & Books. The Des Moines franchised is owned by Hubbell Realty Company.

When I was there last Friday after the Obama Rally, the store seemed very busy with customers. I think this will be a great place for the downtown worker to grab a nice gift for son or daughter or niece or nephew without having to go a large shopping mall. Check them out on the skywalk during your next lunch break.

When I first moved to the Des Moines metro, I worked downtown and lived in West Des Moines and made the commute back-n-forth from the burbs to downtown five days a week. A few years ago, that changed and my offices were located in West Des Moines so the commute was short and sweet. Back in March of this year, I moved downtown and started the reverse-commute to my offices in West Des Moines. The reverse commute hasn’t been that bad, it’s only taken me about 15 to 20 minutes to get to work and home each day, this is significantly shorter than the nearly half hour to forty-minute commutes I had in South Florida. I found out this week that my department will be relocating in the upcoming weeks to our downtown offices. Talk about a short commute, I won’t even have to get my car out of the garage. It will be a walking commute for me. A hugh advantage to both working and living downtown.

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Which of these would you rather see?

A creative use of walls in the skywalk, like this picture of the skywalk through the Financial Center from Wells Fargo? or	Another bland white wall as recently done for the Des Moines Building skywalk?

As the cold weather season approaches more and more of us will be spending more time in the skywalks getting to and from work, shopping, dinging and running errands. For most of the three miles we have nothing interesting to engage us except for the few lighted billboards that are scattered here and there. So here’s my idea to the powers that be:

• Use the blank white walls as a showcase to display Des Moines centered art or art from local Des Moines area artists

Ideas of what could be put on the walls:

• Murals on the walls, that show case Des Moines History, Des Moines Skyline, or scenes from Iowa or local attractions.
• Display photography groupings, similar to what’s done for the Iowa State Fair photography exhibit.
• Display canvas or mixed media art done by local artist and make the skywalks like an art gallery.
• Local galleries could also sponsor a wall or an empty store front window to display art. There’s a lot of empty store fronts, especially in the Kaleidoscope, why not allow local galleries to hang items in those windows along with the “For Lease” signs, again more foot traffic equals greater opportunity for leasing space. A good example of this is the bottom floor of the Liberty Building, an artist from the Art Dive showcases work in an empty retail front.
• Learning walls, for example, allow local non-profits, like Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa to display items promoting their organization, telling their story in words and pictures.

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Staying fit downtown has to be one of the best advantages to living downtown because it’s so easy. For one thing you can walk most everywhere you need, either outside or through the skywalk and if you prefer to bike, we now even have bike rentals downtown. With the Principal Riverwalk coming, walking or biking downtown will be even better.

For downtown gyms we have basically two places, the Downtown YMCA and Gym F/X Fitness & Tanning. I belong to Gym F/X, it’s on the first and second floor of my building, the Liberty Building. I’m happy to say that since joining the gym and moving downtown where I’m way more active, I’ve lost 10 pounds and 8 percent body fat in the last six months.

When joining the gym, I signed up for their LivFit 10 Week Training Program. It’s basically a 5 component system that covers: food intake, cardiovascular training, taking supplements to eliminate nutritional deficiencies, resistance training and application of programming. With this program I was signed up for the BodyBugg and had a personal trainer, Jeff Zelenovich, to assist me through the program. I had done so well on the 10 week program, I’ve continued on using BodyBugg program for another year.

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This morning I decided to take a 10 minute stroll through the skywalk. I took my camera along and filmed my walk. Afterwards, I spent about 20 minutes to process the video with iMovie, and voilà I had a finished YouTube video. Please keep in mind, I’m walking so the camera is a little shaky, but you’ve got good music to listen to for 10 minutes, so take a look.

One of the best experiences that I have had since moving downtown is getting to know wonderful neighbors. In fact the three that live next door to me (Jessica, Tom and Wilson) are just awesome welcoming people. Last Monday night when they had me over for a wonderful dinner, I told them about this new blog that I started and got their permission to share their story that had been printed in the “Downtown Des Moines Newsletter”.

URBAN PIONEERS TOM TARBOX & JESSICA ROWE

“Why would anyone want to live downtown?” Jessica Rowe recently overheard that inquiry in a nearby conversation and couldn’t help but politely interrupt. To the contrary, Rowe asks, “Why would you not want to live downtown?” Jessica, a self-employed consultant, resides at 418 Liberty with her husband, attorney Tom Tarbox, and their two cats, Eloise and Oliver.

Their teenage son, Wilson, also lives in the downtown condo during breaks from the school he attends in Virginia. With Wilson gone to school most of the year, Tom and Jessica decided to make the move to downtown in order to streamline their lives and focus more on their careers and less on their backyard garden. While Tom says he enjoyed the hours spent working in his garden, he had become somewhat of a ‘yard slave’ and was ready to give it up and embrace the urban lifestyle downtown Des Moines offers.

Tom and Jessica studied the downtown market for more than a year before deciding on 418 Liberty. Since they purchased their condo early in the development process, they were able to work with the developers to make modifications befitting their lifestyle. “Nelson Construction was great and they worked with us on the modifications we wanted,” says Tom. It’s a wonderful perk of investing in downtown in the early development stage of any condo or loft building. The family moved into their condo in August 2006 and immediately fell in love with their ninth-floor view which features spectacular sunrises and many Des Moines landmarks such as the nearby Traveler’s Insurance umbrella. They were pleasantly surprised at how close they were to the incredible fireworks display on the 4th of July.

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