Downtown's Davidson Bros. building to be restored

Driving the news: The Des Moines City Council last week approved a development agreement for the project with just over $1.9 million in incentives over the next 30 years.

• The completed project is expected to generate nearly $6.4 million in additional tax revenue during that period because of the improvements.

Flashback: Davidson Bros. was a produce wholesaler in the early 1900s and later expanded into distributing other products, including beer and cigars.

• Its most successful products were candy, which it manufactured, according to the historic application.

Zoom in: The building, at 108 Southwest Third St., was converted to office or retail space decades ago and housed a Saxton furniture store on its first floor before the company was acquired by Pigott in 2021.

• Each of its three floors has over 11,000 square feet and is already listed for future tenants.

Behind the scenes: Much of the renovation will take place indoors, with designers focusing on exposed brick and restoring wood floors.

• The exterior of the building stands out for its prominent use of round-arch openings in doors and windows, with the front awning removed to showcase its architecture, Stanbrough said.

The intrigue: "Ghost signs" — faded painted advertisements from the building's warehouse days — are still visible in parts of the building and will be preserved or restored, Stanbrough said.

What's next: The project is expected to be finished next year.

🍭 Our thought bubble: A candy manufacturer would be a historically fitting reuse for the first floor, with the arched windows used to display products or production.