Sam Erickson, President and Chief Operating Officer, submitted the following of Clinton, Iowa's Van Allen Apartments:

It has been an incredible honor to play a role in the restoration and adaptive re-use of the Van Allen and Sons Department Store in Clinton. Once a glittering retail gem providing high end retail for eastern Iowa, the building sat vacant, but carefully protected by the City of Clinton for years. CHI was incredibly fortunate to partner with a community that not only understood the value of this nationally recognized historic treasure, but also provided encouragement and financial support to adapt the Van Allen into 19 residential housing units.

Architect Louis Sullivan, a genius often overshadowed by his protégé, Frank Lloyd Wright, designed the building guided by his “form follows function” principle of design. Beautifully ornate terra cotta applied to the building gives the illusion the building is symmetrical, but that is not the case. If you have not seen this building, look it up. Twenty years after taking ownership, we are still finding beautiful details.

Perhaps the best part of our ownership of this historic gem has been the residents who make it their home. They understand the beauty and importance of this building in telling America’s story. They care for the original maple floors, decorate common areas for holidays, and proudly show their homes to everyone — from Clinton natives returning home for the weekend to architectural students across the globe (Japan, Italy and Germany come to mind). The Van Allen has always been a labor of love for the entire CHI team.

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Since then, the response from so many people has been overwhelmingly positive in chipping in to help repair the damage that was done and make a clear statement that these acts of vandalism and their divisive message have no place in the community.  We are grateful for this show of support.

This experience reminds all of us that we share a daily responsibility to make Iowa communities welcoming and safe for all our neighbors. We stand with our communities in affirming our commitment to act on this responsibility.

To show your support to the repair of the affected public art, you may make a secure online contribution to the repair and future protection of these murals.

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But more than that, Phillips has been getting a 955 square foot 1916 home ready for its next owners, one of three where she is now completing renovations on the same block. People are noticing – a sale is already pending on this latest house after only days on the market.

“These three in a row have such an impact because they’re so visible driving by on University or walking down to East High School.  It helps people get thinking and talking about what their neighborhood could look like,” Phillips said.

And looking out from the house, it’s hard not to see the potential.  Many homes in Capitol Park were constructed between 1900 and 1920.  Homes in the area are among the city’s oldest, but fortunately their basic design and construction makes them able to be renovated and kept up for today’s homeowners.

That’s where Phillips is engaged, selecting and renovating some of the area’s most troubled properties then remodeling them for sale on behalf of Community Housing Initiatives, a nonprofit working in the area as part of the Viva East Bank! Initiative.

She purchased this home through a tax sale, and it looked like the previous owners left quickly.  Trash was strewn about and an abandoned car sat out back.  It’s exactly the kind of situation Phillips is looking for when she gets to work.

As a whole, Capitol Park is a neighborhood that’s learned to bounce back more than once.  Many parts of the neighborhood have views of the State Capitol Building, right to the south, but the construction of Interstate 235 made that building—and downtown—feel much farther away.  Investment and growth in the city started flowing west down the freeway.

Today, elevated contract sales of homes and higher vacancy rates than other neighborhoods are some of the signs of stress in Capitol Park’s housing market.  Yet at the same time, downtown Des Moines and the nearby East Village are experiencing a dramatic resurgence, prompting hopes for an economic revival in neighborhoods like Capitol Park.

Working on the houses, Phillips is literally touching the history around her.  Several people, including past owners of her properties, have stopped by to check on her progress on East 13th.  That visible location is helping people see the progress.

“I think they’ve been waiting for it, and maybe they haven’t been sure it was going to happen.  I think there’s a surprise element to it,” Stacie said.

Capitol Park is one of the city’s youngest and most diverse neighborhoods.  It’s full of families. It’s a relatively affordable place to live. The restaurants are great. Scarlet pride at East High School burns as bright as ever.

Listed at $115k, Phillips latest house is perched on the market as a great starter home.  It won’t be there long, with its hardwood floors all new kitchen, and two car garage.

Phillips feels the same excitement about the neighborhood.  People are looking at Capitol Park with a fresh set of eyes.

“It’s going to be a process and certainly we want to see people who already live here, who are already invested, being included in the neighborhood’s progress, not left out.  With our partners, we are working on that part too.  But as this happens, there’s opportunity here, and that’s exciting.”

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If you’ve passed a 1905 two-story house on Cleveland Street near E. 13^th Street lately, you’ve probably noticed something striking about the place:  A new mural by Joseph “Sentrock” Perez was installed at the end of June.  It depicts a masked figure nearly 15 feet tall speaking the words “We learned to fly without wings.”  The figure’s arm sports a tattoo with the words “blood, sweat, [and] years.”

Perez says his work is intended to be a reflection of the Capitol Park neighborhood where it is located.  Ultimately, as is often the case in Perez’s work, the mural’s message is one of hope and empowerment.

"It’s about a character that represents the community, a community learning to grow and excel without wings. Because just what I got from the time I was there, was that the community is for the most part long-time residents who are very rooted in the area, but not necessarily showing off. A very hard working demographic that wants to see the area grow, but in an organic way,” said Perez, an Arizona native now working as an artist and arts educator in Chicago.

Community Housing Initiatives owns the home, which due to its condition is slated for demolition later this year and eventual reconstruction as a new single-family home.  Community Development Director Brian Bonanno said installing the artwork calls attention to the transition facing vacant homes in Des Moines East Bank neighborhoods.

“We just wanted to do something positive for the neighborhood with this home's remaining time. Our hope though is that by changing this one house we can start a wider conversation about the vacant homes and buildings scattered around our neighborhoods and how we can work together to utilize those spaces in ways that give back to the community,” Bonanno said.

Indeed, Capitol Park was one of several Des Moines neighborhoods impacted significantly by the national housing market collapse of 2008 and 2009.  More recently, a coalition of residents, nonprofits and city officials are working together to spur revitalization in the area through the Viva East Bank! initiative. 

Community Housing Initiatives is participating in that effort by purchasing—and where possible, rehabilitating—homes in the area.  We expect to have three additional home renovations in the neighborhood completed and on the market this summer after we completed our first late last year.

Bonanno will help complete several other art installations in the Viva East Bank! neighborhoods in the coming months as well as part of Project Reinvest, a national initiative to support revitalization in neighborhoods affected by the foreclosure crisis that will support rehabilitation repair and demolition of several troubled properties on Des Moines’ East Side.

Working on his art installation, Perez said he sensed the neighborhood’s energy and hope for the future.

“I'm just glad I could bring some color to a house that was an eye sore for the neighbors. The feedback was amazing and I had nothing but great feedback. I had a great time Des Moines, [and I] can't wait to be back," he said.

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Community Housing Initiatives, CHI, has announced receipt of a new $500,000 grant award to support the Viva East Bank neighborhood revitalization initiative focused on Des Moines’ Capitol East, Martin Luther King Jr. Park, and Capitol Park neighborhoods.  The funds will support numerous targeted activities to improve housing and build community in collaboration with residents, the City of Des Moines, and the 30 partner organizations involved in Viva East Bank.

“These funds are significant because they will enable us to complete a wide range of projects aimed at visibly improving quality of life for residents. This opportunity helps us continue to have a positive impact in the neighborhoods and demonstrate progress towards our long-term outcomes,” said Amber Lynch, overall Viva East Bank project manager with the City of Des Moines.

The new funds were awarded through Project Reinvest, a specialized grant program supervised by NeighborWorks America, a national nonprofit focused on community development, that is providing $122.5 million to 55 nonprofit organizations, including CHI, to stabilize and revitalize communities suffering effects of the foreclosure crisis.

Accordingly, Project Reinvest efforts in Des Moines will be substantially focused on improvements to housing, but also a range of public art and infrastructure projects intended to boost community pride in the area. 

“By continuing to improve the quality of housing available, and making other improvements, we’re shifting perceptions of what’s possible in these neighborhoods.  More than 9,000 residents already know these neighborhoods have so much to offer, but we can create an even better experience for residents by opening the door to new investment,” said Doug LaBounty, president of CHI.

Already, Viva East Bank has leveraged about $13 million in public and private investment in the three neighborhoods.  Project Reinvest funds will be utilized by several Viva East Bank partners including Community Housing Initiatives, Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity, HOME, Inc., and the Neighborhood Finance Corporation to support a total investment package of about $2.7 million, inclusive of the $500,000 in this award.

One resident, Chelsea Lepley of Capitol Park, welcomed the announcement as a sign of continuing progress in her neighborhood. 

“We've seen Viva East Bank do a lot of coordination and bring attention to our neighborhoods. It's so important for current and potential residents to see progress, and to know so many people are working hard to make it an even better place to live," she said.­

Project Reinvest key activities

Project Reinvest will create visible neighborhood progress across the three Des Moines neighborhoods included in the Viva East Bank initiative.  Allocated funds will partially or completely support these activities:

• Construct five new homes on lots freed up by demolition of blighted homes that could not be successfully rehabilitated.
• Demolish three vacant, blighted houses.
• Safely remove and replace asbestos siding on nine owner-occupied homes.
• Install three murals on highly visible business facades.
• Install public art in two neighborhood parks.
• Improve a commercial façade on a major traffic corridor.

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