Aviva USA Groundbreaking

Last Thursday, April 24, the City of West Des Moines elected officials and staff celebrated Aviva's future presence in our community by attending their groundbreaking ceremony.

Thankfully, the sun came out just in time for the groundbreaking and the tent Aviva had set up became a nice shade rather than a necessary shield from the anticipated rain. I was both proud and excited to welcome this premier development to West Des Moines. That ground will eventually support offices and employees--hopefully future West Des Moines residents.

In keeping with my previous entry about green building, Aviva has pledged that the new headquarters design will comply with guidelines adopted by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. Because they've had to clear so many trees to construct their facility, Aviva has also donated $50,000 to the Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees in West Des Moines. That gesture is already a sign of their good corporate citizenship.

Mayor Gaer had a chance to stand alongside Tom Godlasky, President and CEO of Aviva USA, and Governor Culver as they all made remarks commemorating the day. I think the facts Mayor Gaer presented about our development in West Des Moines are both interesting and meaningful, and I'll share some of them here. I consider this the backdrop to the story of Aviva USA and its arrival in West Des Moines.

This development has become a significant piece of a vision that is being carried out involving quality, excellence, and innovation, the driving forces of West Des Moines’ growth and improvement. West Des Moines’ population increased from 46,403 in 2000 to 51,744 in 2005, and today is estimated at 55,306. The represents a 19.2% increase in eight years.

Between 2005 and 2007, West Des Moines saw 6,105 new jobs created in the City. This represents a 12.9% increase during that two year period. That amounts to over 53,400 jobs in West Des Moines. It also brings our current daytime population to 117,500, an 8% increase from 2006. The City’s predominant employment sectors continue to be Finance and Insurance.

Since Jan 2006, the City has issued building permits with a value of over $439 million. Of that, $265 million is commercial construction accounting for over 2.8 million square foot of new commercial development. In terms of per capita property valuation, West Des Moines leads the ten largest cities in the State with just under $56,000 per person.

I’d like to thank the Mayor and City Council for their leadership in the process of bringing Aviva to West Des Moines; they continuously supported this development and were positive in our discussions with Aviva leading up to the groundbreaking. City staff should also be commended for their work with Aviva throughout the project and for their positive incorporation of Aviva into the City’s extensive planning process.

I’d also like to thank Aviva and Tom Godlasky for creating new opportunities for growth and high quality jobs--a highly sought after commodity--in our community. Many Aviva and Knapp properties employees were key players in what we felt was a very fair and positive process and also deserve thanks.

I’d also like to thank Governor Culver for the support and assistance the Governor’s Office and the State of Iowa’s Department of Economic Development, especially Mike Tramontina, provided in securing and accommodating Aviva USA in West Des Moines.

Aviva USA is a tremendous addition to West Des Moines, and the City looks forward to continued cooperation and growth. I am confident that Aviva’s presence in West Des Moines will advance the opportunities afforded to our current citizens and encourage more of the best and the brightest to live and work within our state.