418 E Grand is a 132-unit apartment development in the heart of Des Moines’ East Village, featuring 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space designed to activate one of the city’s most vibrant urban corridors. Developed by Nelson and designed by BNIM, the project brings contemporary market-rate housing to one of Des Moines’ most sought-after neighborhoods.
Canary Lofts
Canary Lofts is a 135-unit apartment community with ground-level retail in Des Moines’ Drake neighborhood, situated directly across from Drake University’s campus. The ground-up development brings contemporary urban housing to one of Des Moines’ most established and walkable neighborhoods.
Rowat Lofts
Rowat Lofts is a 162-unit ground-up apartment community in Des Moines’ East Village, offering a mix of micro, studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom homes with premium finishes and amenities in one of the city’s most walkable and vibrant neighborhoods. The project is designed to meet the strong demand for urban living in the East Village, surrounded by a diverse mix of retail, restaurants, recreation, and civic destinations.
Bici Flats
Bici Flats is a 154-unit, three-building apartment community on the edge of downtown Des Moines, situated at the confluence of three regional bike trails along the Des Moines River with panoramic views of the city skyline. The project transformed underutilized land into quality market-rate housing at the gateway to downtown, serving as a model for smart urban infill development.
Des Moines Building
The Des Moines Building is a historic 12-story downtown landmark, originally designed by Proudfoot, Rawson, Souers & Thomas and erected in 1931, reimagined by Nelson into 136 market-rate apartments with ground-level office, retail, and restaurant space. The $25 million adaptive reuse project preserves the building’s original Art Deco lobby detailing and iconic 360-degree rooftop patio, with direct access to the downtown skywalk system and a private pocket park created in partnership with the City of Des Moines.
Fleming Building
The Fleming Building is a mixed-use landmark in downtown Des Moines, designed by Daniel Burnham in the Chicago School style and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, restored by Nelson and Slingshot Architecture into 96 market-rate apartments with ground-level commercial space. The project preserves the building’s historic architectural character while delivering modern mechanical systems and interiors to meet current residential and commercial demand.
AP Lofts
AP Lofts is a 70-unit market-rate apartment community in downtown Des Moines’ East Village, developed through the adaptive reuse of a former agricultural implement warehouse originally built in the 1910s. The renovation preserves the building’s industrial character—10- to 12-foot ceilings, exposed bell columns, and concrete surfaces—while delivering modern urban living with underground and ground-level parking.
e300
e300 is a mixed-use development in downtown Des Moines’ East Village, combining ground-level restaurant and retail space with 79 market-rate apartments above, anchored by one of the largest residential geothermal systems in Iowa. The building’s rooftop fitness center, rooftop patio, and private balconies on each unit offer residents panoramic views of the Iowa State Capitol and the Des Moines skyline.