July 2024 City Scoop: Des Moines
City Grill
Zach Loy
General Manager
Turner Construction
“Two years ago, Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed Senate File 183, which allows construction manager at-risk delivery (CMAR) for public sector projects in the state,” Loy says. “The community has spent the past two years becoming more familiar with this alternative delivery method to understand how to best implement it. Recently, we have seen a great deal of activity with CMAR. Cities, counties, public universities and school districts are engaging in a best-value process early in the design phase in lieu of a low-bid selection. The result has been an earlier onboarding of design and construction firms and a more collaborative approach to developing the budget, scope and schedule of public projects.
“Overall, the construction market in Des Moines has cooled slightly compared to the extreme pace it had been running at for the past couple of years. Commercial, mixed-use and health care seem to be slower, while public work, education, industrial and advanced technology continue to have solid momentum.
The business community is watching interest rates closely, which will impact certain projects,” he says.
