Mid-century meets modern at this $520,000 penthouse condo for sale on Grand Avenue

A rare opportunity to live atop one of Des Moines’ most stylish and storied condos is newly listed for sale at $520,000.

Four penthouse apartments each take a corner at 3660 Grand Ave. in Des Moines and Unit 1020 on the 10 ^th floor provides panoramic views of Des Moines beyond its UV-protected windows. The 1,710-square-foot condominium features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open-plan living space and a recently updated kitchen.

Realtor Sara Gaskell described 3660 Grand as “a special building. Really wonderful,” and ongoing improvements have handsomely decorated the lobby and community spaces to reflect its mid-century modern origins.

Developers pitched this building as a “deluxe residential apartment building,” to its earliest tenants when construction began in 1955 with a $1.4 million budget to create a total of 36 residences. Rentals were capped at $425 per month for the larger layouts at the time.

Quoted in the January 1957 edition of The Iowan magazine, developer Arthur Sanford explained, “We built it for wealthy people who wanted exceptional apartments,” adding that “many of them are couples whose children now have homes of their own and they now want to get away from the responsibility of maintaining a house.”

Gaskell has discovered that little has changed in the ensuing decades and “empty nesters” are among the potential buyers who have already shown an interest in the condo.

She has also noticed several residents possess a particular character trait. “They're drawn to the period of the building. They're drawn to the architecture. They're usually a little bit more interested in art and culture. That tends to be the kind of tenor of the current buyers,” Gaskell said.

In recent years, Unit 1020’s interior has been redesigned with a modern touch and a move to bright, clean lines, adding custom kitchen cabinets, closets, quartz countertops and a kitchen island created by local firm Aronson Woodworks .

The footprint allows one of the bedrooms to be used as a potential home office and the laundry space is large enough for more storage and room to fold clothing.

The home’s monthly HOA fee of $1,603 includes use of the building’s private, community room, gym, garage and covers all utility fees, including internet access. A new tenant would be responsible for MidAmerican Energy bills and property taxes.

Improvements to 3660 Grand’s heating, air-conditioning and outdoor pool area have been completed, and scheduled maintenance is already planned for the hallways and roof.

Living the condo life also includes secure mail delivery, the advantage of an on-site property manager, snow removal, a power-washed garage, and 10th floor outdoor window cleaning twice a year. “The place is immaculate,” Gaskell added.

The apartment is listed at $520,000 by Sara Gaskell of Iowa Realty Mills Crossing . Contact Gaskell at 515-350-4799 for more information and a private showing.

More on this house

Where: 3660 Grand Ave., Unit 1020, Des Moines

Asking price: $520,000

Year built: 1956

Square footage: 1,710 square feet

Richard Lane is a freelance writer for the Des Moines Register. If you have a home we should feature, reach out to Susan Stapleton at sstapleton@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mid-century meets modern at this $520,000 penthouse condo for sale on Grand Avenue