Diligent Development’s agrihood continues to grow.
Long before they moved any dirt, the team at Diligent Development knew what they wanted the Middlebrook project in Cumming to be. They had researched and toured agrihood communities across the country, where developers were creating neighborhoods that connected residents to the land and to one another. Diligent strategically scheduled the development and construction at Middlebrook just south of West Des Moines to provide elements of that vision through each phase of the project.
Now, five years later, that vision is becoming reality. The Middlebrook community continues to grow with additional residential and commercial areas underway. The neighborhood concept is no longer just an idea.
“All along, our vision for Middlebrook was to create the feel of a historic community where the homes each had their own unique architecture, where you could walk to everything, and the neighborhood had everything you needed,” says Tim Portzen, Vice President of Diligent Development. “It’s not just walking to the park. You can walk to the farm stand and get fresh vegetables. You can walk to dinner or to the pub for a drink.”
And with the first businesses moving into the new Main Street district buildings, residents will have even more options available.
“We already have a retail shop about to open—the Farmstand by Manastash Mercantile—and a hair salon,” says Diligent’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Kalen Ludwig. “And we’re excited about the interest we’ve had in the remaining three spaces in that first building. We also have the first residents in the Main Street Lofts, which are located above the retail spaces.”
The Main Street district, located on the south side of G14 at the western edge of Middlebrook, extends the existing Cumming business district and is designed to honor the original architecture of those buildings.
Across the street from the lofts is another commercial building under construction, which will soon house Peoples Company headquarters on the second floor.
“As a national agricultural land management and appraisal firm and brokerage company, it just makes sense for us to operate out of Middlebrook,” says Ludwig. “From our offices we’ll be able to look out and not only see the agrihood, but miles of agricultural land, too.”
One of the unique features of the Middlebrook project has actually been the development schedule. Rather than focus on primarily residential or commercial, one at a time, Diligent developed aspects of both simultaneously. Because of this, Middlebrook has offered that agrihood culture from the beginning.
“By the time the first residents were moving in, the farm was functioning,” says Ludwig. “And here we are five years later, with established families, multiple dining and retail options, and this gorgeous farm and orchard and event area with the beautiful meadow and the trails.”
Portzen says, “We continue to develop with that mindset. Every time we bring on new retail space, we open up new loft space, too, so even the business district is not exclusively retail development.”
Diligent Development also envisioned a community that was financially accessible to residents at nearly all income levels. With these most recent projects, that has become reality as well.
“We have loft rentals starting at $1,275 per month all the way up to homes over a million dollars,” says Ludwig. “And we just broke ground on a neighborhood that will offer cottage-style single-family homes starting at $319,000. From the rental options to townhomes to single-family homes, there’s something for almost everyone.”
Diligent isn’t finished with the Middlebrook vision. In addition to the new loft rentals and single-family cottages, the company plans additional mixed-use spaces with commercial space on the main level and living space above at the juncture of the business district. The company is also completing an apartment building designed to be reminiscent of old Sherman Hill homes. And Diligent anticipates opening a residential plat with larger lots for high-end homes and a neighborhood of alley-loaded single-family homes.
“We’ve all heard the term aging in place,” says Ludwig. “Middlebrook is a community where you can do that. If you don’t need the big house anymore, we have the cottages just down the street, or you can downsize to a townhome. Or if you’re just starting out, we have the lofts. And when you’re ready to invest in your first home, we’ve got the options for you to move up. You can actually age in place without moving away from the neighborhood.”
The commercial district is designed with that same concept in mind. Spaces are available for everything from microsuites suited to small local businesses up to 4,000 square feet of stand-alone retail space or 10,000 square feet for a restaurant.
“Our goal has always been to have Middlebrook look and feel like those historic rural communities we all covet, with the downtown area right around the corner from the residential neighborhoods,” says Ludwig. “Whether it’s a residential or retail area, we envision every part of Middlebrook as offering walkability, attractiveness, unique architecture, and space to create community.”
Middlebrook is not only at the juncture of rural and urban. It’s where that vision meets reality.
Learn More.
Experience the essence of Middlebrook by joining Fridays at the Farm for live music, food trucks, farmers market vendors, fresh organic produce, and more! Middlebrook welcomes friends and families to kick off their weekends by enjoying the simplicity of life on the farm while connecting with others every Friday mid-May through mid-September from 4:30-7:30pm.