10 things to watch for in downtown Des Moines in 2018

The first physical signs of progress on two long-awaited skyscrapers.

The opening of Kum & Go's "world-class" headquarters.

Seven million dollars in upgrades to Water Works Park.

These are a few of the 10 things to watch for in downtown Des Moines next year.

The list was released Thursday morning during a panel discussion hosted by the Des Moines Downtown Chamber at the Science Center of Iowa.

Here's what the chamber says we have to look forward to in 2018:

1 & 2. The two towers

The Fifth and The Blackbird, downtown Des Moines' first high-rise towers in decades, have been making headlines for more than two years.

But next year is the first time residents will be able to see actual progress at the two sites.

"Those two towers are going to be game-changers along Walnut Street," said Tim Leach, senior vice president of downtown development for the Greater Des Moines Partnership.

The Fifth is Mandelbaum Properties' mixed-use tower along Fifth Avenue between Walnut Street and Court Avenue. The 39-story project has an estimated price tag of $170 million.

Once finished it will become Iowa's third-tallest tower, behind 801 Grand and the Ruan Center.

It will replace a 620-stall parking ramp owned by the city that is being demolished this winter.

The Blackbird, a 33-story residential tower being built by Blackbird Investments, will replace a vacant lot at Walnut and Seventh streets once occupied by the downtown Younkers department store.

The project has an estimated price tag of $104 million.

Groundwork is expected to begin at both sites next year, but full construction will take years to complete.

"It's a transformative time for downtown," said Erin Olson-Douglas, the city's economic development director.

3. Improvements to Waterworks Park

Nearly $7 million in upgrades are planned for Water Works Park, 2201 George Flagg Parkway, that will enhance the overall experience of the park and provide space for community-wide events, said Sam Carrell, executive director of the Des Moines Water Works Park Foundation.

Improvements include a dual-stage amphitheater on the park's southeast side, a great lawn with a walking loop, two natural playgrounds, a pavilion and food truck parking area.

4. Water trails and skate park

These "big ideas" for downtown could make headway next year as backers push fundraising efforts to bring recreation to the Des Moines River and a world-class skate park to the riverfront.

The city has commissioned an engineering study to figure out exactly how much money is needed to create new access points for boaters and swimmers and potentially add whitewater features for kayakers and tubers. Results are expected early next year.

"Enlivening and putting activity on our rivers is one of those big civic ideas that can be really exciting for our city," Olson-Douglas said.

Fundraising efforts for a 65,000-square-foot skate park near Wells Fargo Arena will kick off again in December, said Dan Corron from the Downtown Chamber.

About $1 million of the project's $3.5 million estimated cost has already been raised, and backers expect to be fully funded by the end of 2018, he said.

5. New corporate headquarters

Kum & Go's corporate headquarters in the Western Gateway is slated to open next year.

Called the Krause Gateway Center, its striking design by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano has the potential to become one of Des Moines' landmarks, Leach said.

"The Renzo Piano building is going to be there for hundreds of years," he said.

And don't be surprised if other national companies look to Des Moines for relocation or expansions in the next few years, Olson-Douglas said.

The cost of doing business in Des Moines is 18 percent below the national average and the city "has entertained a handful" of corporations looking for new space in the last year, she said.

6. Revamping two-way streets

Groundwork will be laid next year to eliminate downtown's one-way streets in favor of two-way traffic. The City Council plans to vote on the ambitious Connect Downtown plan Dec. 4.

Fundraising efforts would last through 2018, with improvements likely the following year.

The goal is to make downtown more accessible for walkers and cyclists to improve traffic safety and encourage more street life.

"It's the right thing to do from a safety and an economic business development perspective," Leach said.

7. Growing national retail presence

Expect to see more national retailers coming to downtown Des Moines as West Elm finds success since opening in the East Village in September.

Most national retailers develop in clusters, Corron said. Those that see the furniture store's success may start putting Des Moines on their radar, he said.

8. Adding bike lanes for mobility

More protected bike lanes could come online as the city looks to measure the success of its pilot project on East Grand Avenue in the East Village.

"We need so much more of it to really make an impact and make the difference for elevating bike usage and mobility downtown," Olson-Douglas said.

9. Creating new city code

Des Moines is looking at changing its 50-year-old zoning code.

The new code would pay more attention to the individual character of each neighborhood, crafting rules that require development to fit in. The new model the city plans to use favors walkability, open spaces, vibrancy and density, according to the Form-Based Codes Institute.

The City Council is expected to vote on it in the spring.

10. Day cares and schools

Access to day care and schools is on the top of developers' minds as more families move downtown.

Plans are in the works for a New Horizons child care center in the Gray's Landing development just south of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway on the southwest edge of downtown.

Hubbell Realty Co. is looking to provide educational opportunities as part of its massive Gray's Station development further south of Gray's Landing on the bank of the Raccoon River.

Olson-Douglas said Des Moines wants to find ways to bring higher education to the city's core. There are only two state capitals that do not have a state university located in them, she said. Des Moines is one.

Looking back five years

This is the fifth time the Des Moines Downtown Chamber has release its list of projects to look for in the coming year.

In 2013, when the first list was released, downtown did not have a Hy-Vee store, the YMCA was still located along the Des Moines River and the Des Moines Social Club had not yet moved to its location in the former Des Moines fire station.

One of the biggest projects downtown watchers had their eyes on that year was the $39 million renovation of the Younkers Building which had just got underway in the fall 2013. Fire destroyed that project on March 29, 2014.

"The rebound that downtown has made since that fire has been nothing short of amazing," Leach said.