Ankeny Art Center plans to move to Uptown

By the numbers: About 90% of the center's art classes are at capacity as Ankeny's growing population fuels demand.

• The project is estimated to cost $4.5 million, with construction expected to begin in fall 2027 after fundraising.

Flashback: The art center has operated at 1520 SW Ordnance Road since 2003, says Ankeny Art Center board president Steve Van Oort.

• The building was once a John Deere credit union and was given to the city. When the city outgrew the building, the City Council agreed to lease it to the Ankeny Art Center, Van Oort says.
• "It was really never designed as an art center," he says.

In August, the Ankeny City Council approved $200,000 to help construct the new center, with plans to recoup the money by selling the Ordnance Road property once the art center moves out.

What's next: On Tuesday, Polk County supervisors will consider providing $500,000 for the project.

• If the funding is approved, the center will have raised more than $2 million for the project. A public fundraising campaign is planned for later this month.