Previous Uses and Owners
The Des Moines Ordnance Plant site was part of a 2,200 acre site
that was used during World War II for manufacturing munitions.
Over 19,000 people worked at the plant and produced 2 million
rounds of ammunition per day.
Deere and Company purchased the production facilities on the
northwest corner of the site after World War II. The John Deere
Des Moines Works has operated there since 1947, currently employing
over 1,000 people.
Iowa State University purchased 1,031 acres of the Ordnance
Plant site in 1947 for use as a dairy research center and for the study
of plant sciences. The Des Moines Area Community College purchased
property on the southeast portion of the site in the 1970s for
an Ankeny campus.
The City of Ankeny
The City of Ankeny has long had an interest in the research farm site
being converted to residential and business uses to spur economic
development and to increase the tax base.
The Iowa State Legislature adopted legislation in 2003 that
allowed Iowa State University to sell the research farm and use the
proceeds to construct a new dairy research facility and plant science
research area near the Ames campus.
The City of Ankeny commissioned a concept master plan for the
site in 2004 and named the project Prairie Trail. The concept master
plan was developed with public input and envisioned a mixed-use
development, including single-family and multi-family residential,
retail, office, and light industrial. The plan also included parks, open space, conservation areas, and civic and cultural facilities. The City completed negotiations to purchase the site (outlined in red in the
drawing at the right) from Iowa State University in June of 2005 for
$23.6 million.
The City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in June of 2005 to
developers with an interest in master developing the site. The Ankeny
City Council selected DRA Properties, LLC (DRA) as the Master
Developer in July 2005. The Prairie Trail concept master plan was
intended to be a general guideline for the development. In September
2005 the Ankeny City Council approved a development agreement, a
purchase agreement, and a land sale contract with DRA Properties.
In October 2005, the City issued an RFP to national urban
design and planning firms for a detailed master plan to include urban
design, financial feasibility, conservation design, and civil engineering.
After the City and DRA interviewed several firms and selected
the team led by Urban Design Associates in December 2005.
DRA Properties, LLC
DRA purchased the property from the City for $23.6 million in
September of 2005. The City committed to construct infrastructure
for the development in an amount not to exceed $20 million. DRA
agreed to create a Civic Trust Fund of up to $25 million on a matching
basis of $1.25 for every $1.00 of infrastructure constructed by the
City. The Civic Trust Fund will be used for cultural and civic facilities
at Prairie Trail.
