(The fires are why Ankeny’s original business district has few century-old buildings, local officials said.) The area included a meat market and grocery store, a beauty shop, an auto dealership, a doctor’s office, a pharmacy, a veterinarian’s office and a cafe.īetween 19, four different fires destroyed many of the buildings that housed Uptown businesses, according to the historical society. In 1912, a train depot was built on the site now occupied by the Ankeny Market & Pavilion, known locally as the AMP.īy the 1930s, Ankeny’s business district – named Uptown because it was north of Des Moines’ downtown – was thriving.
Passenger rail service between Des Moines and Ankeny was established in 1880 in 1903, the town was incorporated. The couple laid out a plan for the community, filing a record of the layout the following year, according to the Ankeny Area Historical Society. In 1874, John and Sarah Ankeny acquired 80 acres around the area now known as Uptown. “There are some properties that are underutilized south of the existing business district that I expect to be part of the next wave of new investment that occurs in that area,” said Derek Lord, Ankeny’s economic development director. New development and reinvestment in existing buildings is not expected to slow. (Uptown roughly includes the 300 to 900 blocks of Southwest Third Street and two to four blocks to the north and south.) Thirteen years later, the value of the properties has more than doubled to $34.7 million.
In 2010, the value of the nearly 150 properties in Uptown totaled $14.9 million, according to Polk County assessor data. The increased awareness has prompted additional investment in the area where Ankeny was founded. “The trail improvements, the growth in the farmers market, the new businesses – all of those things have really raised awareness of Uptown.” “It’s been a perfect storm of activity,” said Joel Cox, owner of Porch Light Coffeehouse, which opened at 417 S.W. Those activities have sparked other new development as well as reinvestment in the area’s existing structures. It also is home to the Ankeny Farmers Market and other community events.
The 3-acre park is a trailhead for the heavily used High Trestle Trail that dissects Uptown. Construction began on the Ankeny Market & Pavilion in 2015.
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