Convert Garage To Living Space

From financial hub to apartment living

Before the original construction on the Des Moines Building was even half done, above, the original developer had fallen victim to the Great Depression and had to withdraw from the project. The building was completed on schedule in less than a year and opened in 1931. In late 2010, it was vacant and an absentee landlord shut off the boilers, forcing the city to seize the building. / REGISTER FILE PHOTO

The Des Moines Building is an Art Deco office building in the heart of downtown that was erected with much fanfare during the early years of the Great Depression at the same time the Empire State and Chrysler buildings were reaching skyward in New York.

Now, after an 80-year history that includes a 1930s Statehouse controversy, a lawsuit that was taken to the U.S. Supreme Court twice and a near brush with a chilling tragedy last winter, the 14-story office building is about to be converted into an apartment complex for downtown workers.

The conversion won't be easy, but difficult situations are hardly new to the building at 405 Sixth Ave.

Before the original construction was even half done, the original developer, Burton Joseph, had fallen victim to the hard times of the Great Depression and had to withdraw from the project. Despite those and other problems, the building was completed on schedule in less than a year.

When it opened in 1931 across from the 18-story Equitable Building, the two structures created a canyon at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Locust Street that effectively became the center of Des Moines finance for decades to come.

In more recent years, the city's financial center moved several blocks to the west and occupancy of the aging Des Moines Building declined.

By last fall, it was completely vacant and an absentee landlord shut off the boilers. By the time city officials got inside on Dec. 10, "we were literally hours away from having that building freeze up," a situation that would have created major flooding and fire hazards, a city official said.

In January, the city took the highly unusual step of declaring the building a public nuisance, which allowed the city of Des Moines to claim title.

Last week, the City Council selected a developer who has plans to rejuvenate the 80-year-old building.

9 Home Improvement Ideas to Avoid - Living Chandler

We all love talking about what we’re going to do to make our home look stunning. It’s such a blast to go to a store like Home Depot and start dreaming of the upgrades we are going to make to our castle to make it more comfortable and visually appealing. Showing homes to clients over the years I have come across some very interesting choices made by some homeowners about the way they have gone about making changes to their home.

While they may be great for their family, it’s obvious that they never gave a 2nd thought as to how the next person to buy their home would perceive these changes.

Sellers often say to me “If the buyer doesn’t like it they can change it”. The problem with this statement is that the average buyer has no vision. They can’t see the potential of what the home can be, just what it is now. The liklihood that the buyer will change the problem area right after they close is almost zero. Ask me how I know – I’ve had great visions for the last 2 homes I lived in and it never came to fruition. People have better things to do and ignorantly saying this could cost you a delayed sale, which means time and money.

Here are 9 home improvement ideas to avoid if you want to resell your home with ease:

1.  Upgrading kitchen countertops and leaving the standard cabinets

Walking into a kitchen with granite countertops and 1980′s oak cabinets (no offense) doesn’t work. Something just doesn’t feel right here.  Did you run out of money? You probably should have waited until you could afford both- assuming you are selling the home.  They need to be similar- you don’t have to spend the money on both, just keep them in the same value circle. Old oak? New, granite-look laminate or tile. Brand new wood or even painted cabinets can pull off a tile or granite. The further away in quality these 2 items are from each other is the higher the red flag by buyers is waved.

2. Using one type of flooring

Not much is more annoying than the exact same flooring that extends throughout the entire house. As nice as the tile might be, it usually is unwelcome in bedrooms, for example. That being said, don’t use 2 styles of any one type of flooring, for example, 2 different kinds of laminate wood. Make sure your choices are consistent.

3.