.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Planners of the Principal Riverwalk project are still working on raising $18 million to complete construction, but are optimistic that the funding will come through.

Mary O’Keefe, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Principal Financial Group Inc., said the company is in talks with the federal government for possible assistance in completing the project, but as of yet, nothing has been finalized.

“The overall budget for the main portion of this project, the 1.2 mile loop, is around $58 million,” she said. “Originally, when we laid it all out five years ago, we estimated it in the $26 million to $30 million range.”

O’Keefe said over the years, the project has continued to grow, something the planners had hoped would occur.

“We hoped it would grow,” she said. “There have been additional amenities added that have really improved the overall project.”

Also contributing to the increased cost of the project is a rise in the price of materials, such as concrete, glass and steel, O’Keefe said. Luckily, she said, both the public and private sectors have stepped up and been supportive of the project.

“The biggest pieces have come from the (Army) Corps of Engineers, the state of Iowa, the Department of Transportation and the city of Des Moines,” she said. “But companies and individuals have also been very supportive in giving their money to make sure this project keeps moving forward.”

Principal has already donated $12 million, she said, with Principal Chairman J. Barry Griswell and his wife, Michele, donating $1 million personally.

“Everyone in this community has really stepped up to the plate,” O’Keefe said. “The support has been tremendous.”

The developments that have sprung up around the Riverwalk are another indication of the project’s success, O’Keefe said.

“We really hoped this would help spur other development in downtown Des Moines,” she said. “We always knew this was a great area for development, and we knew someone would come up with a great use for the land around our project.”

O’Keefe points to projects like the Meredith Trail, new downtown housing, upgrades at Principal Park, the Brenton Skating Plaza and many others as examples of development that was sparked by the community’s initial investment in the Riverwalk.

“Projects like this take a lot of effort,” she said. “But we see it as a key turning point for downtown. The Riverwalk physically joins downtown together.”

The Hansen Co. Triangle, a community plaza to be located south of the MidAmerican Energy Co. substation near Grand Avenue on the west side of the Des Moines River, was not in the original plan, but because of that company’s gift, the Riverwalk now includes this “world-class amenity,” O’Keefe said.

The largest aspect of the Riverwalk project yet to be completed is the Center Street pedestrian bridge, O’Keefe said. Construction began on the site Aug. 15, with an expected completion date of late next year.

Robert Cramer, president of Cramer & Associates Inc., the company in charge of constructing the bridge, said his workers are just moving onto the site now to explore the banks and figure out the best way to excavate.

The bridge will be 400 feet long and feature 100-foot-tall arches. This bridge will be much bigger than the blue arched bridge on Interstate 235, Cramer said, which is only 280 feet long.

“It’s a challenging design,” he said. “It will take some really big cranes in the river to support the arches during construction. So, it is a little more difficult.”

The steel arches and decks are currently being fabricated by a company in the Chicago area, Cramer said. They should be completed by spring.

The overall cost to construct the bridge will be $9.5 million, Cramer said.

The bridge designer, Arup, is a London-based firm that handles building, infrastructure and consulting projects all over the world. It has 7,000 employees in 70 offices scattered across more than 30 countries and claims on its Web site, “at any one time, we have over 10,000 projects running concurrently.” Those projects have included such landmarks as the Sydney Opera House in Australia.

The Center Street Bridge originally was sited directly above the Center Street Dam, but will be built slightly upstream instead. The shift will make construction simpler and allow better access for any future work on the dam. It also cuts costs by shortening the span.

Though the main construction on the Riverwalk is scheduled to be completed in 2009, O’Keefe said the hope is that the project will never really stop.

“We want this to just be the beginning,” she said. “We think this project can keep going. We hope it never ends.”

Principal spearheaded this project, O’Keefe said, because of a desire to attract and retain employees.

“How do you attract great employees?” she said. “How do you get them to stay in your city? You have to offer them great amenities. This is just a piece of that, and we think it has already begun to spark other ideas and projects to improve the quality of life here in Des Moines.”