Seen from the north, the Atlas Building anchors 23 acres in West Des Moines. New plans include a cafe in the central lobby, a restaurant and market in the ground-floor wing on the left, and an event space in the central ground-floor space and patio. Serenity Couture Salon & Spa opened last month on the right. (Photo courtesy of WB Realty Co.)
By Michael Morain
Editor
On a sunny day last week, Michael LaValle stood on an elevated patio at the Atlas Building in West Des Moines and pointed north toward a little pond ringed by a walking path, some picnic tables and a few trees showing off for fall. The place was pretty quiet, as it has been since Wells Fargo moved out in 2024, but LaValle has big plans to turn it into a lively community gathering space in the middle of its subdued corporate neighbors. He’s already nicknamed the pond “West Fest Lake.”
Inside the massive six-story building behind him, at 7001 Westown Parkway, he plans to open a cafe, a restaurant and wine market, and a rentable event space for the building’s new tenants as well as the general public. He called the project a “food mecca” and said it combines elements from many of the businesses he’s had a hand in closer to downtown, including Allora, Purveyor, South Union Bakery, Trellis Catering and the River Center.
“I don’t know many people in town who could actually pull this off, but I think it’s going to work out great,” said architect Russell Bitterman, whose team at ID8 Architects has drafted the project plans.
The 425,000-square-foot building went up in 2000 and was renovated in 2020 and 2021. Now, work crews are transforming it again. During last week’s walk-through, a team was painting a ceiling dark blue and sawing a hole in the north wall to create a new entrance.
The Meridian
Target opening: December
The ground-floor space for private parties and business conferences will accommodate up to 600 for a seated dinner or 1,000 for a reception, served by an upgraded catering kitchen that used to serve the Wells Fargo cafeteria. The space opens out to the lower patio and lake.
The space’s name references its elbow-like location between the Atlas Building’s two wings. As LaValle put it, “Things meet at the meridian.”
Atlas Cafe
Target opening: February
A shiny new service counter anchors the five-story atrium, where sunshine spills in from floor-to-ceiling windows and water trickles down a half-dozen sculptural towers around the stairwell. The cafe will serve coffee drinks from a Lavazza machine, pastries from Doré Bakery (another LaValle business), sandwiches and salads.
Purveyor Restaurant and Wine Market
Target opening: April or May
Like the original Purveyor in the East Village, the new spot will offer a small market, a menu for on-site dining and takeout, and a collection of wines on tap, available by the glass or growler. A counter will be set up for guided wine tastings, too. W
When the weather warms up, LaValle plans to set up a food trailer out by the lake.
The whole project “is an amalgamation of all the things I love,” he said, noting he’s aiming for “simple, authentic and delicious” rather than “froufrou la roo.” “I want a restaurant and a market where you can go every week.”
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