This historic downtown Des Moines building that once housed a factory was sold for $2.65 million. Photo courtesy of the Polk County assessor

A former downtown Des Moines factory building that was once home to a nationally known bakery has been sold, Polk County real estate records show.

National Biscuit Flats LLC, whose registered office is in Waukee, paid National Biscuit Co. Flats LLC $2.65 million for the property at 1001 Cherry St. 

The four-story brick building was originally a production and distribution center for the National Biscuit Co., later known as Nabisco, according to a National Register of Historic Place application.

The building was constructed around 1906 using designs that followed the company’s national standards, according to the application. In 1909, the Des Moines facility was the third-largest sales territory for the National Biscuit Co.

The bakery operated at the site until around 1940. The property was purchased in 1942 and used as a warehouse at which raw materials were stored. Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. owned the property for a short time, as did the local carpenter’s union, which trained apprentice carpenters in the space. 

The building was redeveloped into low-income housing in 1995 with 54 affordable units, according to the federal application. The building underwent significant remodeling in 2008, and in May 2009 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

National Biscuit Co. Flats LLC, a group based out of Dallas, Texas, purchased the property in July 2008 for $320,000. 

The 23,324-square-foot building in 2019 was valued at $1.17 million, records show.

The most recent sales transaction was recorded on Nov. 3.

In other real estate transactions:

Jerry’s Homes Inc. paid Absolute Farms LLC $1.4 million for 24 residential lots in Altoona’s Brookhaven Estates development, records show. The lots are mostly along 32nd Street Southwest and Ninth Avenue Southeast. The transaction was recorded on Nov. 2.

Steelsmith Properties LLC paid Marcella Cobb Trust $1.1 million for property at 8530 New York Ave. in Urbandale, records show. The property includes a 9,504-square-foot office building constructed in 2000. The property in 2019 was valued at $1.24 million. The transaction was recorded on Nov. 2.

Grimes Culvers I LLC and two other investors paid Hy-Vee Inc. $945,077 for 1.3 acres at 1601 E. First St. in Grimes, records show. The property is adjacent to where Hy-Vee plans on building a flagship store. Grimes’ Plan and Zoning Commission and City Council have approved a site plan for a 4,125-square-foot Culver’s restaurant to be built on the 1.3-acre parcel. In 2019, the undeveloped ground was valued at $1,670. Other buyers include Grimes Culvers 2 LLC and PB&J’s Adventure 2 LLC. The transaction was recorded on Nov. 3.

Hy-Vee Inc. paid Collective Investment Management Ltd. $2.48 million for nearly 9 acres at 3230-3605 S.E. Gateway Drive in Grimes, records show. Hy-Vee plans onbuilding a Fast & Fresh convenience store on the site. A Smokey Row coffee shop will also be at the site. The transaction was recorded on Nov. 6.   The owner of an Ames-based lube company purchased 1.43 acres in a recently finalized plat called Waukee Towne Center, Dallas County real estate records show. The property at 250 S.E. Alice’s Road in Waukee was purchased by AH 976-3 LLC, an entity operated by Ted Sage, owner of LOF-Xpress Oil Change. The LLC paid Waukee Town Center LLC $1.2 million for the property. In October, Waukee Towne Center, managed by Michael Pierson of Burlington, paid the Robert F. Etzel Living Trust $3.09 million for the undeveloped ground located west of Southeast Alice’s Road along Southeast Laurel Street. The parcel purchased by Sage was part of the Pierson purchase. Sage, in an email, said plans for the parcel have not been finalized. The transaction between AH 976-3 and Waukee Towne Center was recorded on Nov. 2. Microsoft Corp. paid W&G McKinney West Farm LC $14.47 million for 151 acres in south of Booneville Road, west of Johnson Creek and north of Raccoon River Drive in West Des Moines, records show. The Washington-based technology giant plans on building a data center on the undeveloped ground. The transaction was recorded on Nov. 6. The Business Record in early October reported on Microsoft’s plans to build two new data centers in West Des Moines. Annroselee Investments LLC paid Rena Vee Limestall Living Trust $892,800 for 124 acres in rural Dallas County, records show. The ground, zoned agricultural, is north of Iowa Highway 44 and west of Beaumont Avenue, about 7 miles east of Panora. The transaction was recorded on Nov. 2. Des Moines Lots LLC, based in Urbandale, paid Accurate Land Co. Inc. $2.59 million for 49 residential lots north of Meredith Drive along Northwest 167th Street in Urbandale. The transaction was recorded on Nov. 6. Shadow Creek V LLC paid TJL Investments LLC $1.2 million for undeveloped ground south of Meredith Drive and west of Northeast Alice’s Road in Clive, records show. The transaction was recorded on Nov. 6. Prairie Rose Waukee LLC, operated by Landmark Cos. Inc., paid Broderick Family LP $5.27 million for 3.55 acres at 2815 V Ave. in Waukee, records show. The transaction was recorded on Nov. 6.