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Gray’s Station Growth Through the Years

Throughout the last three years, the landscape and literal land at Gray’s Station has undergone some serious transformations.

While preliminary plans started long before 2016, this was the year the visible change began on the 75 acres of Gray’s Station land. When Hubbell Realty Company began conceptualizing and researching what mitigation the land at Gray’s Station would need, it became obvious we would need a team of restoration experts.

The site had become overgrown with trees, shrubs and had formerly been home to farms, an urban landfill and the Norfolk Southern Railroad. Hubbell brought in partner Terracon for extensive remediation beginning with ridding the land of railroad ties, debris, tanks and various pesticides formerly used in the industrial businesses. Over the course of nearly two years, Terracon and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) successfully helped Hubbell restore the ground.

The first of many projects was connecting Gray’s Lake to Gray’s Station and the rest of downtown Des Moines via a bridge and trail system. This also included restructuring three individual wetland basins at the south end of the community into one stormwater retention and management system, which handles nearly 300 acres of downtown water runoff. From water quality to reestablishing native plants and species, the wetland basin system has a great vision for the future of downtown water management.

In late 2019, the ‘Chris and Marcie Coleman’ Bridge was completed and open to the public. The one-mile trail system was also opened and within two years’ time, the basin should begin to take form with maturing plants and water retention.

Meanwhile, the rental and for-sale homes in Phase One of Gray’s Station have significantly progressed. The three-phase community will work east to west over the course of the next decade, adding more than 1,100 homes and pocket parks to the downtown core.

In Phase One, LINC apartments acts as a catalyst into the community on the corner of MLK Jr. Parkway and SW 11th Street. The two-building community will have 227 apartment homes with studio, 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom options; a community-pool-dog park space built from painted shipping containers; Crossfit-inspired fitness center, business center and first-floor retail.

LINC will welcome its’ first tenant, Mad Meatball, a popular pizza shop, later in spring 2020. A nail salon has also decided to call LINC home and there’s more commercial space available to lease.

LINC’s first building will open to the public in mid-2020.

The townhomes at Gray’s Station are well underway and will continue to progress throughout early 2020. Currently, there are seven home types under construction ranging from 1,500 to 2,300 square feet. These homes, which feature specially selected interior finishes from the Urban Collection, are expected to be finished in mid-spring.

Each townhome has different features – rooftop patios, two-or-three-story homes, two-car garages and varying exterior finishes. The personalized homes range in price from the $320’s and up.

Overall, the neighborhood is really starting to take shape and if you haven’t driven, rode or walked by – do it! Gray’s Station is literal steps away from the best of downtown Des Moines’ venues, restaurants and employers.

Look for more updates as we continue to make progress on our community!