Bigger Scope Of Work Brings Lloyd Construction Into Multiple New States
A block of downtown Des Moines has been transformed into a mixed-use redevelopment with the opening of The Deco — a new development from Sioux Falls-based Lloyd Companies.
“It’s a really nice project,” said Mike Dill, executive vice president for Lloyd Construction, which built the five-story project — including 81 studio, one and two-bedroom lofts.
“It’s built on a footprint the size of a postage stamp, but the quality is amazing.”
The project is one of several taking Lloyd Construction outside of its home base in South Dakota, as the company landed a wide range of work in multiple states.
In Des Moines, “it wasn’t quite a blank slate to start,” Dill said. “There was a retaining wall, so we had some demolition a site work to get the pad ready, plus we’re right across from a heavily utilized downtown fire station, so there were accommodations made for traffic along with security of the site.”
Now that residents are moving in, “reactions have been fantastic,” property manager Joe Pahlka said. “Everyone who has toured the Deco has been truly impressed by the craftsmanship and the thoughtful layout. Now that our doors are officially open and construction is complete, we expect leasing activity to become even busier.”
The striking aesthetic sets the property apart, with a brick exterior, upgraded apartments and concierge-style resident service, he added.
The building includes a community room, 24-hour fitness center, guest suite and second-floor rooftop patio.
“While it’s not a historic district, just being in downtown Des Moines involves some design standards that were similar to one, so there were some unique considerations,” Dill said.
The Des Moines project is one of several bringing Lloyd Construction into new markets this summer.
A groundbreaking is planning this summer in Arkansas for a multiphase townhome-style project as well as income-qualified housing.
“The metro area we’re working in is similar to Des Moines, with multiple contiguous communities,” said Jerry Fromm, president of Lloyd Construction. “As we’ve learned more about the market, there are a lot of similarities in how we do business and it seems like a good fit.”
Lloyd Construction also is starting work on a 100,000-square-foot industrial facility buildout in Kentucky as well as multiple hotel projects.
A Homewood Suites is starting construction in New York in mid-June and other hotels projects in Virginia and Wyoming are expected to begin in the coming months.
“We reached out to some of our industry contacts, threw our hat in the ring and they liked what we could bring to the table,” Fromm said.
“In many cases, we’re supporting pre-construction work on these projects from Sioux Falls while also doing a significant amount of traveling. We have some superintendents relocating for projects and we’re doing hiring locally as well.”
Closer to home, Lloyd Construction is wrapping up work in downtown Sioux Falls this summer on Jacobson Plaza and the River Greenway, as well as the buildout of Jack Rose Social Club at The Steel District. Work continues on apartment communities including The Current at Dawley Farm Village and Harvest Ridge townhomes in southwest Sioux Falls.
In Rapid City, Lloyd Construction just finished its largest project ever in the city, with the 10-story mixed-used project Block5, bringing loft apartments, retail space and a new Hyatt Place hotel to the community’s downtown. Lloyd also is continuing construction on multiple apartment communities — Blackstone Flats, which caters to income-qualified residents, is scheduled to wrap up in June, and Buffalo Run will open its first phase of townhomes in mid-summer.
To the south, work is wrapping up on a 14,000-square-foot addition to Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health Services in Yankton and some smaller renovation projects at the University of South Dakota.
Lloyd’s special projects group continues to support buildouts for Starbucks coffee shops, including locations in Harrisburg, Rapid City and Nebraska.
“We’re always taking on new opportunities and have some additional capacity,” Fromm said. “We anticipate hopefully sharing some updates in Sioux Falls in the coming weeks as well.”
