A 93-year-old former residence hall on Drake University’s campus is undergoing a multi-million-dollar renovation project to convert the structure into a student center and home base for over 150 student-led organizations.

A building permit, which placed the project’s value at $10 million, was issued by the city of Des Moines in January for the work. The permit was among 19 commercial permits issued by 13 area cities and Polk County in January for projects valued at $250,000 or more, a review by the Business Record shows.

Drake raised $11 million for the remodeling project of Morehouse Hall, which first opened in 1931 as a women’s dormitory, according to information on Drake’s website. The Georgian-style building, constructed with brick and Bedford stone, was named after Drake’s sixth president, Daniel Morehouse.

“Renovation plans will honor the building’s original architecture while prioritizing modern updates and amenities,” according to a release about the project.

Sammons Financial Group donated $1.75 million for the project and for development of the Sammons Intercultural Center and Sammons Plaza at Morehouse. The center will be located on Morehouse’s ground floor. Large flex and collaboration spaces will be located in Morehouse’s former ballroom.

The first and second floors will include student study spaces and offices for Residence Life, according to the release. The second floor will also include lounges, workspaces and offices. The third floor will include a board room and the Kinne Development Center.

The Ron and Jane Olson Institute for Public Democracy and Jay N. Darling Institute will also be housed in the building.

The project’s general contractor is Story Construction; Invision Planning | Architecture | Interiors is the project’s architect. The project is expected to take 12 to 18 months to complete.

Among the other permits issued in January were:
· One for the construction the Center at Sixth, a mixed-use development at 1714 Sixth Ave. in Des Moines. The project, whose details were released in fall 2021, will include 9,000 square feet of commercial space, as well and six second-floor live/work units for artists and others. The second story will also include gallery space for events and outreach. Center at Sixth will be home to an incubator for culturally diverse entrepreneurs. The permit placed the project’s value at nearly $6.9 million. The project’s developer is Ashworth Development LLC, with consultation from Christensen Development. Its architect is Neumann Monson Architects.

·   One for the construction of a five-story mixed-used building at 1301 Mulberry St. in Des Moines. The building will include nearly 10,000 square feet of commercial space, underground parking and 78 apartment units. The project’s developers include Lloyd Cos. and Green Acre Development. The permit placed the project’s value at $17.2 million.

· One for the remodeling of 8,700 square feet at Kemin Industries Inc., 2100 Maury St. in Des Moines. A portion of building 2 on Kemin’s campus is being converted from warehouse to production space. The project, valued at $3.6 million, is one of several planned at Kemin. The company plans on building a 321,500-square-foot warehouse on vacant space east of its campus. It also plans on adding a fermentation facility for manufacturing enzymes and renovating and expanding a 30-year-old blending facility, according to public documents.

January’s commercial building permits

In January 2024, 19 commercial building permits were issued by Des Moines-area communities for projects with values of $250,000 or more, a Business Record review of reports from 13 communities and Polk County shows.

To view the interactive map, click here.

To view the spreadsheet, click here.

To view the 2023 interactive map, click here. To view the 2023 spreadsheet, click here.