Development grows fast in Cumming
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A map of the Middlebrook area. Map: Courtesy of Middlebrook
Most suburban growth around Des Moines follows the familiar pattern of large apartment complexes and sprawling single-family subdivisions, but Middlebrook, an "agrihood" that is being constructed in Cumming, is modeled on Iowa's walkable small towns.
The big picture: The 800-acre agrihood by Diligent Development will include a town center, mixed housing types, local restaurants, outdoor recreation, farms and a community garden, says Tim Portzen, manager at Diligent.
State of play: Two mixed-use buildings are already up near the Great Western bike trail, housing an ice cream shop, hair salon and lifestyle boutique, with apartments above largely leased out.
- A third building is taking a "live-work" approach, where owners can run a business on the ground floor and live in a residential unit above.
- The owners of Free Bird, a coffee roastery, plan to live and work on-site with their family. Bloom Play Co., a kids' play café, is moving its business in and renting out the residential space.
- Negotiations are also underway with a potential butcher shop for ground-floor retail in a nearby office building.
By the numbers: Housing options in the agrihood will range from apartments to single-family homes, with home prices from around $320,000 up to $1 million.
- Thirty entry-level "cottage" homes will be available this fall at $320,000, with about a third already pre-sold. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom homes are on narrow lots, similar to townhomes, with usable side yards.
What they're saying: "We're trying to create a sustainable, all-encompassing community," Portzen says, citing Winterset, Decorah and Dyersville as models of towns where you can eat, drink, see a doctor, and run errands without leaving.
What's next: Middlebrook is about five years into a 20-year buildout, with new neighborhoods planned every couple of years.
- The project is targeting 1,000 to 1,500 households, roughly 2,500 to 3,000 people, with Cumming overall aiming for 5,000 to 10,000 residents, similar to Winterset or Grinnell.