The Prairie Trail Master Plan is a New Urbanist community composed of pedestrian friendly residential neighborhoods, new mixed use Town Center, and two office parks.
The plan builds upon the 2005 Concept Plan, along with the natural features of the site, the market studies, and precedent studies of Ankeny and Iowa historic neighborhoods and town squares. The plan has three precincts: Town Center; Campus Precinct; and Residential Neighborhoods. Interrelated street and open space frameworks form the underlying structure of Prairie Trail and weave together the precincts.
For instance, the Town Center is adjacent to and connects to the DMACC campus, enlivening both precincts. The streets and trails of the neighborhood precincts similarly flow toward the Town Center, which also acts as the Town Center for Ankeny -- a place for civic gatherings and public celebrations. The design of the streets of Prairie Trail ranges from tree lined parkways to intimate neighborhood streets and rear alleys. Each residential neighborhood has small parks and playgrounds as well as larger natural preservation areas which connect to the larger open space framework. Sites are set aside for a school, library, grocery store, church, and neighborhood retail stores. Lastly, Prairie Trail is designed with the highest standards of environmental sustainability including storm water retention, use of native plants, and energy efficient design. Prairie Trail is a legacy project which preserves and celebrates the prairie, farm, and industrial heritage of Ankeny and Iowa.
Image of property before development
Map showing the three precincts
