In our 2021 Leaders Survey, 73% of respondents said they agreed that downtown small businesses and commercial real estate will suffer if most businesses continue offering remote working to their employees post-pandemic – and another 13% were unsure about the effects. Between changing customer demand and issues with staffing, downtown small businesses are being challenged while office vacancies continue to be higher than they were pre-pandemic. Yet both staple and new events and attractions are continuing on with fervor. Our Feb. 17 Power Breakfast will focus on solutions to keep downtown thriving and what the new vision plan might include.

We asked our speakers to answer: What’s one trend affecting downtown Des Moines that business leaders should be aware of? Here’s what they said.

Staci Bennett – executive director, Des Moines Downtown Chamber
The workforce of downtown Des Moines has changed considerably over the past two years. Many larger organizations are continuing to offer remote and hybrid work options, decreasing the number of workers centralized in some of the larger corporate buildings. However, there has been an increase in downtown residents with the addition of new housing communities, and many of these residents work from home. We may not see the traditional patterns of downtown foot and car traffic during the workweek, but it doesn’t mean people aren’t downtown during the day. Businesses may need to reevaluate their strategies based on these new patterns of traffic in order to better reach consumers.

Marquas Ashworth – entrepreneur, distiller and developer in Des Moines
I’d say now more so than ever, the energy that exists within startup and emerging industries in Iowa is massive. With that comes the needs for not only working capital, but back-end support like accounting, etc. I think current and future business leaders in our market should find ways to not only adapt, but evolve into what is to come. Des Moines as a whole in terms of business landscape is undergoing one of its biggest shifts ever; now’s the time to organize.

Erin Olson-Douglas – director, development services, city of Des Moines
Events of the past couple of years accelerated the pace of changes that were already in the making. Work was disassociated from place. Goods were being delivered far and wide. Affordability of housing markets was concerning. Diversity, inclusion and equity issues were bubbling. Whether we widely acknowledged them in early 2020 or not, these trends were shaping our downtown. They accelerated through the pandemic and remain impactful today. Des Moines has been wrestling with the competing interests that accompany these cultural changes. We have been working for years to make downtown a favored location for our residents, workers, businesses and visitors from near and far with sound investments in infrastructure, housing, and cultural and recreational amenities. More than ever, we need to come together and sharpen our view of what will make downtown DSM a choice destination tomorrow and well into the future. Fewer people have to come downtown; therefore, it will be imperative that people want to come to our downtown.  

Tiffany Tauscheck – chief operations officer, Greater Des Moines Partnership
It may be no surprise for business leaders to hear that employers are offering more flexibility than ever to employees. This gives us an opportunity to look at downtown programming and amenities differently. We must position downtown to be a place people want to be all days and times. One trend we are finding is that cultural events, activations and attractions are a top way to draw people downtown. Events such as the World Food & Music Festival, Downtown Farmers’ Market presented by UnityPoint Health-Des Moines and DSM Book Festival as well as pop-up activations such as Downtown DSM Tweet Week, Hide and Seek Ornaments You Keep, Out to Lunch, the Great DSM Hot Air Balloon Hunt and more drive people to experience downtown. We believe major projects such as the Iowa Confluence (ICON) Water Trails and Pro Iowa Soccer Stadium and Global Plaza will enhance the recreational and cultural offerings we already have and give people another reason to come downtown, socialize with family and friends, and support local businesses while they are here. This is everyone’s downtown, 365 days a year.

TJ Jacobs, vice president of CBRE Hubbell Commercial, is also set to be a panelist.