A delayed $22 million, 110,000-square-foot project in the Drake Dogtown neighborhood could still break ground this year, the developer says, though its anchor tenant, Toppling Goliath, Brewing Co., will not confirm if it's still involved.
The plans, which call for two five-story, mixed-use buildings on Carpenter Avenue between 24th and 25th streets near Varsity Cinema, have been on the books since 2019, when Drake University decided to sell the land to help spur redevelopment east of its campus. Initial estimates pointed to buyer Merge Urban Development Group beginning work in fall 2022 , with completion expected in spring 2024.
Since then, the project's timeline has been pushed back. Decorah-based Toppling Goliath announced it would be opening a taproom on the ground floor last August, with co-founder Clark Lewey saying it expected to open in 2025 .
It would be the second location of the brewery, one of the nation's most acclaimed.
Despite little to no movement at the site, Brent Dahlstrom, co-founder of Merge, said the company aims to wrap up construction in time for next year's holiday season.
"We are still hopeful for a 2025 opening," he told the Register in an email. "Our current timeline has us starting in a couple of months."
Neither Dahlstrom nor Lewey responded to inquiries about whether Toppling Goliath is still part of the project.
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The project's site plan was still under review as of July 11. The city has yet to approve permits needed for construction to begin, which Merge first applied for last fall. However, the site has been cleared, with all pre-existing structures demolished in February.
Drake University spokesperson Ashton Hockman declined to comment on the status of the project. The university's Planning and Design staff are no longer involved, Hockman said, though they did work with Merge to review design plans at various stages in the project.
What's in the works for 'Dogtown?'
Merge pitched a multi-phase project,. The pair of five-story, multi-use buildings would have 116 residential units: 24 studios, 68 with one bedroom and 24 with two bedrooms.
Toppling Goliath's later addition to the plan required changes to Merge's initial plans for first floor-commercial space, converting most of what had been set aside for a restaurant and multiple "micro-retailers" into a 13,000-square-foot taproom with patios. If built, the brewery will be comparable in size to Big Grove Brewing's expansive Des Moines taproom, which opened a year ago in the Sherman Hill neighborhood.
Addison Lathers covers growth and development for the Des Moines metro. Reach her at 608-931-1761 or alathers@registermedia.com, and follow her on X at @addisonlathers.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: $20 million Dogtown development still coming, but no word on Toppling Goliath brewery
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