Des Moines Forges Ahead with Billions in Investment, Future-Focused Plan

GREATER DES MOINES, Iowa – January 28, 2026 – Riding a wave of significant economic momentum, the Greater Des Moines Partnership has unveiled an ambitious six-point strategic plan for 2026 designed to accelerate growth, cultivate a next-generation workforce, and solidify the region’s position as a national leader. The announcement comes on the heels of a landmark year in which the organization reported achieving 100% of its 2025 goals, fueling a period of unprecedented capital investment.

During its Annual Dinner, the region's primary economic development organization celebrated a year of robust activity, including the completion of 28 business expansion and location projects. This activity is a component of a larger boom, with over $5.7 billion in capital investment currently underway across the 13-county region and another $2 billion in active projects in the pipeline. The organization also reported its strongest-ever economic development pipeline, with 140 active project leads.

"2025 was a year of focus, action and momentum for Greater Des Moines," said Miriam Erickson Brown, the 2025 Partnership Board Chair and President and CEO of Anderson Erickson Dairy. "By working together across the region... we delivered meaningful results. This success reflects what's possible when everyone is aligned around shared goals."

Building on this success, the 2026 priorities signal a strategic pivot toward future-proofing the region's economy, with a heavy emphasis on talent development, technological innovation, and deepening regional collaboration.

A Skyline and Economy in Transformation

The nearly $8 billion in current and planned investment is not an abstract figure; it is tangibly reshaping Greater Des Moines. The activity spans residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects, creating thousands of jobs and enhancing the region's economic base.

Among the most visible projects is the 515 Walnut Tower, a $148 million, 33-story residential building that broke ground in downtown Des Moines in 2025. Upon its projected completion in 2027, it will add 390 much-needed housing units and is expected to create over 700 construction jobs. Further investment in the urban core includes the recently completed second phase of the 418 E Grand mixed-use development, a $35.8 million project.

Beyond downtown, major investments are bolstering key regional employers and infrastructure. Musco Lighting completed a significant 74,000-square-foot expansion of its global headquarters in Oskaloosa, while the Des Moines International Airport is in the midst of a massive $445 million expansion to accommodate its growing traffic. These projects, combined with hundreds of millions invested by tech giants like Apple at its Waukee data center, underscore the diverse and dynamic nature of the region's growth.

Building a Future-Proof Workforce

A central pillar of the 2026 strategy is a comprehensive approach to talent, aiming to build a skilled workforce prepared for the jobs of tomorrow. The Partnership is significantly expanding its programming to create a seamless pipeline from K-12 education through early-career development.

New and expanded initiatives include:
* The Legacy Project: Career Ready Collective: A six-week program for high school students focused on professional skill-building and career exposure.
* DSM Intern Connection: This flagship program, which engaged 108 employers in 2024, is being expanded. Its success is a key driver of talent retention; a recent survey found over 71% of participants would likely relocate to the region if offered a job, a figure that far exceeds national intern conversion averages.
* Industry-Specific Career Exploration: New support for K-12 students to explore careers in high-demand sectors like trades, manufacturing, and the region's powerhouse finance and insurance industries.
* Leadership Development: A new program for emerging leaders and a civic leadership initiative are designed to cultivate the next generation of organizational and community leaders.

This focus on human capital is critical as the region's population is projected to grow by 5.3% over the next five years, more than double the national average.

Embracing the AI Revolution

Recognizing the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, the Partnership has established AI and Innovation as a core strategic priority. The goal is to fortify the region's innovation ecosystem through targeted workforce resources and partnerships. A key deliverable for 2026 is the creation of a regional AI Skills and Fluency tool to build workforce capacity.

This regional effort aligns with a broader statewide push. A recently announced partnership between Google and the Iowa Department of Education will provide Google Career Certificates and AI Essentials courses to K-12 schools and community colleges at no cost. This initiative provides a foundational layer of AI literacy that the Partnership's more targeted, industry-focused efforts can build upon, creating a multi-generational approach to technological readiness.

The Power of Regional Collaboration

Underpinning all of the Partnership's success is its long-standing philosophy of regional collaboration. The 2026 plan seeks to deepen this strength through new, innovative models of support for its network of more than 7,200 regional business members.

A key initiative is the launch of a Shared Services Model designed to provide financial, payroll, and human resources support for its Affiliate Chambers of Commerce. This move, developed in partnership with the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) in what is being called a first-of-its-kind model, aims to free up smaller chambers from administrative burdens, allowing them to focus on their core mission of serving local businesses.

This collaborative spirit is what leaders credit for the region's ability to consistently punch above its weight. "The region continues to outperform expectations because leaders across the region are willing to collaborate, invest and think long term," said incoming 2026 Partnership Board Chair Chris Costa, President and CEO of Knapp Properties, Inc.

As the region moves forward, the strategy is clear: leverage economic momentum to make long-term investments in people, technology, and community. "With the large amount of capital investment underway and more in the pipeline, our 2026 Strategic Priorities reflect a shared commitment to move the region forward by aligning leadership, ideas and action to drive long-term success for our region," said Tiffany Tauscheck, President and CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership.