Hello 4th Street!

Dos Rios, Hessen Haus, Java Joe’s, Fong’s Pizza, Vaudeville Mews, Royal Mile, Science Center, The Lift, and now add one more to that list…the Des Moines Social Club.  The Social Clubs organizational mission works to combine the numerous aspects of artistic culture in Des Moines all under one roof, and recently announced a new interim home in the historic Kirkwood Building at 4th & Walnut.

It seems like yesterday, however already more than 2 years ago, that I sat down with Zach and Matt in a vacant dusty building on Locust Street across from an empty field – the current Sculpture Garden – to discuss a new concept for Des Moines.  The Social Club concept was unheard of, especially in an established midwest city that is made up largely by insurance and financial service companies.  For the Social Club to succeed, the employees and leaders inside those companies would have to embrace the concept and get out of the work environment to discover the uniqueness that their home city.

It was March of 2009 when doors first opened for the Des Moines Social Club.  It’s been a busy 2 years with hundreds of events and thousands of attendees.  There were stretches at the beginning where the flow of people who flowed into the Social Club were curious onlookers stopping in just to find out what DMSC was about, searching for their own personal reason to become a supporter of the club.  That still happens today, yet with fewer people each time because many have already become supporters of the club and found the value of having it in their community.

A huge show of support was on display Wednesday night, to a packed house for our largest Annual Dinner attendance yet, where we made the new location announcement.  There is a budding new relationship here with the Court Avenue clientele and the downtown businesses that will be our new neighbors.  Will they approve of us?  Will they, too, experience the benefits of unprecedented community engagement on their block?

There will be 12 months and beyond to find that answer, and things could not be off to a better start.  I’m very much looking forward to the opportunity for downtown Des Moines as DMSC takes its next step forward.

*Special thanks to Sen. Jack Hatch for providing the space that launched the Des Moines Social Club.