WAUKEE, Iowa — Despite the negative impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on businesses and communities across Iowa, there was at least one positive indicator. Several cities around the Des Moines metro issued record numbers of building permits in 2020, both in terms of number and value.
Waukee is one of those cities.
In 2020, the City issued 1489 building permits. Most of those were for new construction, including new single-family homes, townhomes, and apartments.
The total value of those permits was $245,718,351.
One of the City's newest companies is the Kinship Brewing Company. It just opened the doors to its brand new facility at the beginning of January.
"Waukee being a growing community, we had an opportunity to start a brewery and get in on the ground floor, so we can help be part of the growth of Waukee and help maybe influence the growth and some of the culture," said Zach Dobeck, owner of Kinship Brewing Company.
New construction is attracting established companies as well. Miller, Fidler, & Hinke, an insurance company previously based in Clive, moved to Waukee in 2019.
"I look at our company and Waukee as being very similar because both of us are very emerging," said Joey Hinke, president of Miller, Fidler & Hinke.
Brad Deets, the director of Development Services for Waukee said highly-rated schools and the City's focus on family-friendly services have attracted people to move to Waukee.
"I've worked here for 15 years, lived here for nine— there's just a sense of community in Waukee that other places I've been you don't see," he said.
Waukee isn't alone in this. Several other cities are reporting record investment in new construction.
- Ankeny issued more than $423 million in permits for new construction in 2020, setting a record for the city.
- West Des Moines issued $690 million in permits. That was the highest since 2016.
- Pleasant Hill set a record for issuing $60 million in permits.
- Altoona issued $107 million in permits which is more than the previous two years combined.
Another measure of growth for Waukee is population. Last year, the U.S. Census Bureau named Waukee one of the fastest-growing cities in Iowa. Deets estimates it's growing at a pace of about six people per day.
The City expects to have a population of 35,000 by 2030.