Industrial sites · Iowa
National Biscuit Company Building
Retrofitted 1995 into 54-unit housing; no current development opportunity. · summary, model-written
Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.
Site profile4 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
3+ other atlas sites within 10 km
This site: 3 within 10 km computed · all sites with thisRedeveloped
This site: 54-unit apartment building record · all sites with thisReinhabited
This site: 54-unit apartment building record · all sites with thisHousing
This site: 54-unit apartment building newtypes-extraction · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Retrofit builtnewtypes-extraction reported |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Redeveloped · ReinhabitedWikipedia no source |
| New uses | housingWikipedia no source |
| What is there now | 54-unit apartment buildingnewtypes-extraction reported |
| Retrofit year | 1995newtypes-extraction reported |
Site context
| Housing permits, Polk County (IA), 2024 | 540 units in 5+ unit buildings, 114 in 2–4, 2,295 single-family; 2023: 858 in 5+Census BPS |
|---|---|
| Other atlas sites nearby | 3 within 10 km, 4 within 25 km: Standard Glass and Paint Company Building (0.1 km); Kaleidoscope at the Hub (0.5 km); Southridge Mall (7.2 km)computed |
| Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW) | 30,016 jobs in 1,667 establishments; average annual pay $41,317; employment location quotient 0.96; employment -1.4% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private |
| Jobs located in the tract, 2022 | 44,323 jobs; 419 in retail trade, 2,269 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 19153005101)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022 |
| Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract) | children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 37th income percentile as adults; 2.8% incarcerated at the 2010 count (347 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights |
| Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract) | not a low-access tract at 1 mile; 0% of residents more than 1 mile from a supermarket; poverty rate 17.9%; median family income $81,544; 635 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS |
| Schools | Des Moines Independent Community School District (PK-12); 4 public schools within 1 mile: Downtown School; Edmunds Elementary School; Walnut Street School; Virtual CampusNCES EDGE |
| Elevation | 810 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP |
| Storm events in the county, 2016-2025 | 686 county-logged events: 202 thunderstorm wind, 200 heavy rain, 162 hail, 40 flood; $94,129,700 property damage reported; 1 direct deaths; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events |
| Homes for sale in ZIP 50309, 2026-09 | median list price $328,675 (+14.9% on the year); 73 active listings; median 114 days on market; 16% with a price cutRealtor.com Research |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 1,594 establishments (+4%); 33,537 jobs (+20%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $279,097 (+0% 1 yr, +19% 5 yr); typical rent $1,220/mo (+2% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 11,921 vehicles a day on WEST MLK JR PARKWAY, E (principal arterial, 6 lanes); 25 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
Summary, model-written
Built 1906 as National Biscuit Company production/distribution facility. Retrofitted in 1995 into a 54-unit apartment building ("after_notes"). Status: built. Listed on National Register 2004. Current use: housing. Retrofit strategy: redevelop/reinhabit (already completed).
Why. Retrofit already built (opp_score 0.0). Housing market shows 19.4% 5-year ZHVI growth (2026-09 data). Located in downtown Des Moines cluster: 0.1km from Standard Glass building (built), 0.5km from demolished Kaleidoscope (2023). Polk County permits show 2024 construction of 2,295 single-family units.
Where it stands. No active development opportunity (retrofit complete). Housing demand supported by 19.4% 5-year ZHVI growth. Context: Downtown Des Moines, near operating Southridge Mall (7.2km).
For a planner
- Downtown location, historic designation (2004)
- Near existing housing projects (2024 permits: 2,295 units)
For a developer
- No new retrofit opportunity (already converted)
- Housing market growth noted but retrofit complete
What we do not know yet
- No current vacancy rate or rent data
- No details on building condition beyond 1995 retrofit
- Traffic data shows high-volume arterial road (WEST MLK JR PARKWAY) but no pedestrian access metrics
Generated by qwen3-30b-a3b-64k:latest on Dell 5820 RTX 3090 (Ollama, qwen3-30b-a3b) from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.
Similar sites
- Standard Glass and Paint Company Building, Des Moines, IA · Industrial sites · same strategy: reinhabit; also in IA; 0 km away
- Halligan Coffee Company building, Davenport, IA · Other · opened 1907; same strategy: reinhabit; also in IA
- Artillery Street Paint and Varnish Works, Bordesley, Birmingham · Industrial sites · opened 1910; same strategy: redevelop
- Gatecrasher One, Sheffield · Industrial sites · opened 1910; same strategy: redevelop
Elsewhere on the web
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- retrofit already built
- county grew 4.9% 2018–23
- housing in the record
Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.
History and original facts
| Opened | 1906newtypes-extraction |
|---|---|
| Original developer | National Biscuit Companynewtypes-extraction reported |
| Anchors | National Biscuit Company, Boyt Harness Company, Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, Look magazine, Carpenter's Local #106 |
| County | Polk County |
| Census division | 4 · West North Central |
| Notes | Draft from Wikipedia, model-extracted, unreviewed: The National Biscuit Company Building, originally a production and distribution facility, was converted into a 54-unit apartment building in 1995. |
Not yet recorded: acres, GLA. Know it? Tell us.
Background
The National Biscuit Company Building, also known as National Biscuit Company Flats, is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The heavy timber and masonry building was built in 1906. Only half of the planned building was completed, and the north half of the property was later sold. It initially served as a production and distribution facility for the National Biscuit Company. Architect William F. Wilmouth, who designed the company's buildings, is presumed to be the architect of this four-story Neoclassical building. Benson & Marxer served as the contractors. Des Moines was the third largest sales territory for the company.
Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.
Timeline
- 1906 Building built
- 1906 Opened
- 1940 Original tenant ceased use
- 1981 Acquired by Carpenter's Local #106
- 1995 Converted into apartment building
- 1995 Retrofit: redevelop, reinhabit
- 2004 Listed on National Register of Historic Places
Sources
- National Biscuit Company Building (Des Moines, Iowa) · CC BY-SA 4.0
6 quoted sentences
The National Biscuit Company Building, also known as National Biscuit Company Flats
The heavy timber and masonry building was built in 1906.
The National Baking Company would use this building until 1940.
Carpenter's Local #106 acquired the building in 1981 and used it for meetings and as a place to train apprentices.