February, 2006
Welcome to the monthly Prairie Trail newsletter! The objective of this newsletter is to keep you informed about Prairie Trail with relevant information and insights.
Prairie Trail is a significant development for Ankeny and for Central Iowa, and our goal is to communicate with our stakeholders and partners on a regular basis.
Master Planning Process
Master planning for Prairie Trail kicked off in January, led by the Urban Design Associates team, DRA Properties staff and City of Ankeny staff. Two days of in-depth discussions identified the interests, visions and concerns of DRA Properties and the City of Ankeny in the development of Prairie Trail. The Urban Design Associates team toured the area to get a clear understanding of the local and regional environment surrounding the Prairie Trail development.
The information-gathering portion of the master planning process also began in January. A report on the physical character of the site included a boundary survey, information on the topography of adjacent roadways, utility surveys, wetland delineation and drainage area maps. The information will be used as part of a base map for the project. Nilles and Associates and Wenk Associates are also incorporating the site information for civil engineering and storm water management uses.
Market analysis for retail and commercial business was initiated by Economics Research Group, and a residential market analysis was initiated by Zimmerman Volk and Associates. The market research information will be used for making future investment decisions for Prairie Trail.
A review was conducted of the architectural themes of houses, buildings and neighborhoods in central Iowa. Design features for Prairie Trail will incorporate some of the themes identified in that review. A traffic analysis for Prairie Trail will be conducted by Glatting Jackson in February.
