Early signs of progress are visible at the lots located south of University Avenue and on both sides of 26th Street that will soon be redeveloped into a mixed-use space. Proposed plans for the development call for a hotel, apartments, urban-style row houses, and retail space.

This week, the construction area will be fenced off, including five Drake-owned houses that occupy the site. Prior to the start of the project, Drake placed the houses on the market in hopes of finding qualified buyers. Two of the homes were sold and will be relocated to the Sherman Hill neighborhood in mid-August. Drake is allowing a portion of the demolition costs that were saved on these houses to be used to help with the relocation effort. The three homes that did not sell will be torn down July 31. Habitat for Humanity has salvaged all materials and items from the houses and will reuse or resell them in its ReStore prior to demolition.

Since Drake sent out a request for proposals to redevelop the site, the University has been closely working with area neighbors and business owners as well as the Neighborhood Development Corporation in hopes of designing a project that will not only spur economic growth but develop pride among students and the neighboring community. The original committee that selected Nelson Construction and Development as the developer included three neighborhood residents and a neighborhood business owner.

Currently, Nelson is in the final stages of the design process and will solicit further feedback from neighborhood partners before finalizing the design. Read more on the project and view conceptual renderings here.

— Nick Valdez, Neighborhood and Community Relations Manager

At the summer board meeting of the Iowa Board of Education, Drake’s School of Education received full accreditation for programs in undergraduate and graduate teacher education, school counseling, and school administration. The accreditation status, which is reviewed every seven years, runs through the 2023–2024 academic year.

The decision follows a comprehensive 18-month process that included a 400-page self-study, a review by an elected state panel, five meetings with state accreditation consultants, and a four-day onsite review that involved faculty, staff, students, and employers.
“The reaccreditation is an important validation of our licensure programs that enable teachers, counselors, principals, and superintendents to work in Iowa and throughout the U.S.,” said School of Education Dean Janet McMahill. “I’m extremely proud of all the faculty, staff, students, and employers who participated in the process. Associate Dean Catherine Gillespie earned the “True Blue” award for this one!”

McMahill noted that the accreditation standards were more rigorous than ever before due to revised statues in Chapter 79 – the Iowa law governing the accreditation of education programs. Drake was the first Iowa college subject to the new standards.

And while the accreditation affirms the high-level quality of Drake’s teaching programs, the School of Education strives for continued growth. Next month, the school will move into the new Collier-Scripps building in the heart of campus. The new facility will support faculty and staff as they strive to further grow and improve their programs.