Dogtown, situated in the heart of the Drake Neighborhood, is constantly growing. New developments and marketing strategies are transforming the district, attracting locals, visitors, college students and newcomers to be part of its future.

“[Over] the last 10 years, the whole area has only gotten better,” Nate Reagen said. Reagen is the chief of staff at Drake University and is heavily involved in Dogtown developments. He works with Dogtown businesses, Invest DSM, Community Choice and Marketing Capstone at Drake University to create a successful district.

The changes to the neighborhood are easy to see and experience, beginning on Drake University’s campus and expanding outwards. Recent changes include improvements to the Knapp Center, the Schicklers Club – the courtside club located in the Knapp Center – and Mediacom Stadium, as well as the construction of the Johansen Center. 

In addition to these changes, the Varsity Cinema recently underwent an upgrade and remodel, and new construction around the University has brought the Harkin Institute, Home2 Suites and the Broadlawns Clinic to the Dogtown area. 

The developments don’t end there. According to Drake University’s website, the University announced in June 2019 that they would sell land adjacent to the campus – the empty area by US Bank across from FAC – as part of a development project. The two city blocks between 24th and 25th Streets in the Dogtown area are being constructed by Merge Urban Development Group, based in Cedar Falls, Iowa. 

In an email interview, Brent Dalhstrom, the co-founder and managing partner of Merge, said that the area will include “a five-story, mixed-use building consisting of 125 residential units on floors 2-5 and approximately 15,000 square feet of commercial space on the main level.”

The project is set to begin in May 2025 with an expected completion in October 2026.

Other organizations have an interest in the area. Invest DSM is a nonprofit organization dedicated to community development in the Des Moines area. In July 2019, Invest DSM adopted the Drake Neighborhood as a Special Investment District (SID). According to Invest DSM’s website, a SID is a neighborhood that showcases a distinctive history, community culture, and housing character. 

According to Invest DSM’s website, the organization’s goals for the area include: “exhibit housing stock with pride, make Dogtown a destination, create a clear and consistent brand: historic, diverse, safe, ensure the real estate market is thriving and diverse, encourage pedestrian usage of beautiful street, and create a social cohesion that people can tap into.”

Invest DSM’s special interest in the area has led to their involvement in business development and branding for Dogtown.

“You’ll see small measurables each year that will add up to bigger things over time – getting to the spot where the business owners are [feel] solid in their businesses and can take the time to invest in [other ventures],” said Christopher Civitate, the neighborhood development manager at Invest DSM. “The pandemic hurt them severely; they’re just getting to the spot where they’re able to step away from the businesses and plan those things.”

Civitate said that it is vital that Dogtown engages with Drake University and neighborhood residents. To encourage this relationship, one of Invest DSM’s goals for the year is to plan two street events in Dogtown.

“From May until September, [businesses] are looking to have [street festivals] once a month. So, in the long term, our goal would be for [Dogtown businesses and organizations] to have the opportunity, once a month, for a street closure where there could be a music festival or a neighborhood-based festival,” Civitate said. “[We are] working with Varsity Cinema to expand the theater over time to include a couple more community screens…We’re also working with Varsity Cinema to bring back a movie night out on the lawn where the US Bank building sits today.”

According to Civitate, who led branding for Dogtown, the expansion and success of Dogtown are only possible through background work, including thorough brand planning.

“The group at the time decided that Dogtown wanted to be an entertainment district,” Civitate said. “They wanted [the brand] to be younger, more vibrant, and thriving…that led to an upbeat logo and color patterns that stood out. [Dogtown] wanted to make sure they stayed away from the Drake Bulldog branding [to differentiate the neighborhood from the University].”

Dogtown has a variety of dining and artistic experiences to offer residents and visitors alike. The existence of music venues and theaters, including xBk and Varsity Cinema, along with the wide array of sporting and arts events at Drake University, creates a hotspot for entertainment opportunities.

“The existence of [entertainment and arts] is how [Dogtown] can differentiate itself from some of the other areas in town. It’s a natural evolution of the types of businesses that already exist in the neighborhood,” said Lori Calhoun, the treasurer of the Drake Neighborhood Association. “[It] feels like a great niche for the city to have those opportunities.” 

Some issues remain with where the boundaries of Dogtown actually lie. Historically, Dogtown has been a generally undefined area around Drake University, including the surrounding Drake Neighborhood. 

“We’re looking to do signage in the Dogtown area, just to make the boundaries [clear] and create an awareness of Dogtown,” Calhoun said. “This is where it’s proving to be challenging…I think officially Dogtown goes to 35th Street, because as you get to 42nd Street, [it becomes] a shared community with Waveland and all of that..”

Though an exact region for Dogtown does not exist, the area is growing with special interests around the community.

“All the way around campus has improved in the last 10 years,” Reagen said. “That momentum will only get better, which is exciting.”