Growing Forest Avenue: A Groundbreaking Event

CHDC broke ground for Green^th Street on September 9, 2008 at the building site. The event was a double celebration for CHDC as we were also breaking ground for 1622 Forest Avenue, an energy-efficient, HERS-certified affordable home designed by students at the College of Design at Iowa State University. The two houses are being built just a couple of blocks away from each other, giving us at the CHDC a fun and unique chance to watch the houses grow the neighborhood.

About 50 people attended the morning event. Speakers at the event included Mayor Frank Cownie, mayor of the City of Des Moines; Jamie Malloy and Zach Zielonko, architects from Wells + Associates; Nadia Anderson, lecturer at ISU College of Design and Ryan Larson, one of the architect students who helped design 1622 Forest Ave.; Karen Jeske, CHDC executive director, and Heidi Wessels, CHDC associate director.

Following the event a small celebration and review of the design plans was held at the pavilion in Evelyn Davis Park, across the street from the groundbreaking site. CHDC would like to thank everyone who attended and helped make this event such a wonderful occasion!

Meanwhile back at the building site, the construction crew held their own groundbreaking event as they commenced work on digging out the foundation for the house.

See pictures of the event below:

Groundbreaking site for Greenth Street: house foundation is marked out in white

Mayor Frank Cownie, City of Des Moines and Heidi Wessels, CHDC Associate Director

Heidi Wessels, CHDC Associate Director, and Mayor Frank Cownie, City of Des Moines