A new 186-page report from a central Iowa visioning group says the Des Moines metro area’s strengths include a growing population, more and more young professionals and tech companies, and strong learning centers.
The state’s capital also faces challenges that include a misperception that Des Moines is a city of “corn and cows.” And growing poverty in the city’s core is reducing tax revenue, creating educational challenges, and straining the city’s and social agencies’ ability to provide services.
The report also said Des Moines’ high concentration of finance and insurance companies puts it at risk of “major disinvestment and economic decline if one or more major companies were to be acquired or leave the region.”
Read the report’s executive summary.
The visioning group, called Capital Crossroads, plans to present the report beginning at 5 p.m. at the Des Moines Botanical Center.
The report compares the Des Moines metro area with Omaha, Madison and Denver. The group also interviewed 50 top central Iowa leaders, conducted 30 focus groups and offered an online survey that 3,500 central Iowa residents participated in.
The group seeks input from the metro area and 50 miles surrounding the community.
More details on central Iowa’s strengths and challenges:
Strengths
— Strong population growth that includes a diverse residential base is welcomed by the community at large. Continuing to leverage that diversity can boost Des Moines’ reputation as a “Midwestern melting pot.”
— Public and private schools that serve local families and businesses and help retain and attract families.
— Higher education resources, including one of the top farm research universities in the country, Iowa State University, draws thousands of students to the region and produce skilled graduates that help local companies grow.
— A strong work ethic among employees provides value to existing businesses and helps economic development leaders sell the region to business prospects.
Challenges:
— An external perception that greater Des Moines and central Iowa is a community of “corn and cows” does not reflect the area’s true assets and opportunities.
— Rising and increasingly concentrated poverty in the city of Des Moines is adversely affecting academic performance, reducing tax revenue and straining the city’s and community-based agencies’ ability to meet the growing demand for social services.
— Workforce educational attainment levels are below the nation’s most competitive informational and technology-based economic regions.
— A risk-adverse community culture, reportedly derived from the region’s historical role as an insurance capital, restricts the pursuit of unconventional efforts and prevents the development of a “culture of entrepreneurship” in greater Des Moines.
— Evolving but still restrictive technology transfer and commercialization process at ISU slows the movement of research to market.
— High commercial and residential property tax rates creates the perception that Iowa and central Iowa are not cost-competitive for existing or prospective businesses and talent.
— Above average airfares and a lack of direct flights to top U.S. and foreign markets at Des Moines International Airport hamstrings the region’s ability to retain and attract companies and talent, while limiting greater Des Moines’ competitiveness as a convention and tourism destination.
— A critical mass of entertainment amenities and districts is lacking that would enable greater Des Moines to better compete with larger metro areas for young professional talent.
— A widening “philanthropic gap” exists as the community’s established, successful leadership corps declines without a clear secession of new leaders taking their places.
— The persistence of local parochialism prevents the implementation of certain central regional education, workforce, planning and infrastructure-development efforts. This includes a reported divide between greater Des Moines and Ames-Story County communities that many say holds the region back from achieving more dynamic success.
The state’s capital also faces challenges that include a misperception that Des Moines is a city of “corn and cows.” And growing poverty in the city’s core is reducing tax revenue, creating educational challenges, and straining the city’s and social agencies’ ability to provide services.
The report also said Des Moines’ high concentration of finance and insurance companies puts it at risk of “major disinvestment and economic decline if one or more major companies were to be acquired or leave the region.”
Read the report’s executive summary.
The visioning group, called Capital Crossroads, plans to present the report beginning at 5 p.m. at the Des Moines Botanical Center.
The report compares the Des Moines metro area with Omaha, Madison and Denver. The group also interviewed 50 top central Iowa leaders, conducted 30 focus groups and offered an online survey that 3,500 central Iowa residents participated in.
The group seeks input from the metro area and 50 miles surrounding the community.
More details on central Iowa’s strengths and challenges:
Strengths
— Strong population growth that includes a diverse residential base is welcomed by the community at large. Continuing to leverage that diversity can boost Des Moines’ reputation as a “Midwestern melting pot.”
— Public and private schools that serve local families and businesses and help retain and attract families.
— Higher education resources, including one of the top farm research universities in the country, Iowa State University, draws thousands of students to the region and produce skilled graduates that help local companies grow.
— A strong work ethic among employees provides value to existing businesses and helps economic development leaders sell the region to business prospects.
Challenges:
— An external perception that greater Des Moines and central Iowa is a community of “corn and cows” does not reflect the area’s true assets and opportunities.
— Rising and increasingly concentrated poverty in the city of Des Moines is adversely affecting academic performance, reducing tax revenue and straining the city’s and community-based agencies’ ability to meet the growing demand for social services.
— Workforce educational attainment levels are below the nation’s most competitive informational and technology-based economic regions.
— A risk-adverse community culture, reportedly derived from the region’s historical role as an insurance capital, restricts the pursuit of unconventional efforts and prevents the development of a “culture of entrepreneurship” in greater Des Moines.
— Evolving but still restrictive technology transfer and commercialization process at ISU slows the movement of research to market.
— High commercial and residential property tax rates creates the perception that Iowa and central Iowa are not cost-competitive for existing or prospective businesses and talent.
— Above average airfares and a lack of direct flights to top U.S. and foreign markets at Des Moines International Airport hamstrings the region’s ability to retain and attract companies and talent, while limiting greater Des Moines’ competitiveness as a convention and tourism destination.
— A critical mass of entertainment amenities and districts is lacking that would enable greater Des Moines to better compete with larger metro areas for young professional talent.
— A widening “philanthropic gap” exists as the community’s established, successful leadership corps declines without a clear secession of new leaders taking their places.
— The persistence of local parochialism prevents the implementation of certain central regional education, workforce, planning and infrastructure-development efforts. This includes a reported divide between greater Des Moines and Ames-Story County communities that many say holds the region back from achieving more dynamic success.
