Sept DSMRC Meeting - River Bend Renovation
Due to Labor Day weekend (when I know you all will be hard at work on your own house projects), the September meeting of the Des Moines Rehabbers Club will be held on September 12, 2009.
Join us to tour a fabulous renovation just nearing completion - the River Bend neighborhood organization took on a monster renovation project at the southern entrance to the neighborhood. Hear from the general contractor who brought this house back from the brink.
Where: 1224 9th Street
When: September 12, 2009
Time: 9:30-11:00am
Note: This house is on the River Bend House Tour starting at 10:00 that day and house tour organizers have agreed to give the Rehabbers Club a "preview". Make sure you arrive at 9:30 to get in without a ticket. If you have time after the meeting, please consider supporting the neighborhood and buying a ticket to tour the rest of the homes on the house tour.
Parking is available on the street, but may get crowded. If you are able, please consider parking at the United Way lot south of University.
The Ruan House (recognize the name?) at 1224 9th Street was constructed in 1876, and served as the boyhood home of John Ruan, founder of Ruan Transportation Corporation. The home was also the original headquarters location of Ruan Transportation, which is now one of the top ten privately-owned transportation service companies in the country.
The vacant building was gifted to the neighborhood association by Bob Mickle in 2004. In early 2008, a fire ripped through the home destroying portions of the roof and structure. After an agonizing decision about what to do with the damaged property, the neighborhood association partnered with the city of Des Moines and others to fund restoration of the property. Through this partnership we now have a beautiful single family home, a historic structure saved, and a great cornerstone at the entrance to the historic West Ninth Streetcar District.
Hope to see you there!
As always: DSMRC monthly meetings are free and open to the public! They are typically held on the first Saturday of each month from 9:30 to 11:00 in the morning. Each meeting is at a different location and covers a different topic. We welcome people of all skill levels whether you are a professional general contractor, exploring options for redoing a bathroom, or simply want to talk about renovation with other interesting people.
Please contact Steve Wilke-Shapiro at swilkeshapiro@gmail.com or 515-710-3484 for more information.
