A few members of the Blackbird team attended SLS20 in Phoenix during the first week of January. Throughout this five-day event, they spent time in prayer and fellowship and came away with a game plan for bringing themselves and the company closer to Christ. There were...
The original Younkers Tea Room, located in the Younkers Department Store, hosted a variety of events and occasions since its inception in 1913, to when the last rarebit burger was served and its doors closed in 2005. The Younkers Tea Room was the most extravagant...
Blackbird is proud to be featured among other award-winning architecture for the Phase I development of Fort Des Moines. Make sure to check out the Winter 2020 issue of Iowa Architect Magazine to see all the amazing projects around Iowa! Fort Des Moines was the company’s...
Veterans Day means many things to many people. Every November 11th, our nation comes together to remember and honor the service and sacrifices of our Veterans. Blackbird Veterans Marc Helm and Rob Stark reflect on what this day means to them. MARC HELM, Blackbird Property Specialist Branch:...
Fort Des Moines Living has just received two national awards regarding its community impact and architectural work. The first award is the AIA Central Regions Award for Historic Preservation. This award is presented to one project throughout the entire Midwest exemplifying the highest standard of...
Blackbird is always looking for opportunities to help the community and InnerVisions is a prime example. Blackbird gave an in-kind donation by lending their time and management for designing and funding a new women's healthcare clinic located in south Des Moines. The team celebrated the inauguration...
Last month our development in Iowa City, One University Place, received LEED Certification for LEED BD+C: New Construction. Located at 1300 Melrose Avenue in Iowa City, the site is just four blocks from Kinnick Stadium and the University of Iowa Hospital. The new construction project...
In honor of National Dog Day, we wanted to share a little bit about our favorite employee, Bucky. Bucky is a service dog from the Puppy Jake Foundation, who tags along with Building Specialist and Military Veteran, Marc Helm. Puppy Jake Foundation is dedicated to...
The Blackbird team recently joined Meals for the Heartland at the YMCA Supportive Housing Campus for a meaningful pay-it-forward experience of packaging meals for those who experience food insecurity right here in our community, as well as abroad. The YMCA Supportive Housing Campus is a community solution...
KTVO — A wrecking ball is scheduled to start swinging again at Ottumwa’s St. Joseph housing site on Monday. Contractors started to tear down the old five-story hospital on North Ash Street last summer. Demolition was then placed on hold for several months due to a contract...
DES MOINES REGISTER — Restoration of the iconic gold dome of the Iowa State Capitol, a Woodland Heights home built in 1913 and the Younkers Tea Room are among the Des Moines projects that won the state's highest awards for historic preservation. The State Historical Society of...
Designed and built by the Blackbird design team, "Boarded Up" is currently on exhibition in Newton, Iowa at the 2019 Preserve Iowa Summit. The Preserve Iowa Summit is the premier statewide annual conference for professionals, property owners, and volunteers involved in historic preservation in Iowa....
THE GAZETTE — Construction on the proposed Forest View development moved closer to reality Tuesday night. The Iowa City Council voted 6-0 to approve the third and final vote for rezoning 73 acres near Interstate 80 and N Dubuque Street. The proposed Forest View development will feature...
THE GAZETTE — Margarita Rodriguez is one step closer to getting the washer and dryer she wants. A 29-year resident of the Forest View Mobile Home Court tucked away in a wooded area off Dubuque Street, Rodriguez has spent close to three decades carrying her laundry...
BUSINESS RECORD — The first reading of an ordinance to change the zoning of a heavily wooded 73-acre tract along the west side of North Dubuque Street just south of Interstate Highway 80 was approved Tuesday by the Iowa City City Council. The approval came after...