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DES MOINES, Iowa — From groundbreaking to trailblazing. For nearly five years Marquas Ashworth has been turning vision into action.
“Actually seeing it come to fruition and be built, it’s beautiful,” said Ashworth, president of Ashworth Development. “This is already going to become a destination.”
The Center @ Sixth along the 6th Avenue corridor in Des Moines is more than another building. “It’s a Black business incubator,” said Ashworth. He continued by saying, “A space where you can come and get new artisan craft items, a glass of moonshine, that custom item that you can’t get anywhere else.”
This is history in the making. “No one has ever set out to say ‘I’m going to make a Black business incubator with lived work, retail test launch space, anchored Black businesses on both sides.’ It’s never been done before,” said Ashworth.
The project will be anchored by two permanent businesses. One of them is Marquas’ own distillery which will be the only one in the city limits of Des Moines. Ashworth said, “We partnered with Evelyn K. Davis Center and there will be entrepreneurial classes. We’ve partnered with Iowa State. There’s going to be a lot of services for entrepreneurs and the community to learn how to grow and sustain their business.”
The top level will be apartments. “It’s been transformative for the entire community,” said Ashworth.
Iowa state senator Izaah Knox serves the district and is Executive Director of the non-profit Urban Dreams. Senator Knox said, “Urban Dreams owned the land of the property before Marquas bought the property.”
Knox believes this project is a game changer for uplifting the underserved and underrepresented people in Des Moines. “A rising tide lifts all boats, right? This is a way to rise tides, make people business owners, entrepreneurship, and help people lift out of poverty or live that American dream,” Knox said.
The line of organizations seeing value in the project is long and includes Governor Kim Reynolds who awarded $3 million from the state non-profit innovation fund. Knox said, “It’s great that the Governor noticed we need this program and need opportunities in our community. A $3 million investment is a ton of money.” In December, Wells Fargo added another $700,000 donation.
Ashworth said, “The purpose of this project is financial readiness and wealth building.”
The Center @ Sixth may make history as a beacon for Black and brown businesses but its roots grow nearly two miles away from the minority-owned businesses and communities along Center Street bulldozed by the creation of Keo Way and I-235 in the 1960s. In October, Iowa Methodist erected a monument honoring the historic Black neighborhoods displaced by urban renewal. “Center Street was the hub of Black businesses in Des Moines. When Keo Way was built all those businesses and families and wealth was disrupted and displaced to the Sixth Avenue corridor,” said Ashworth.
The dirt continues to move at the corner of Jefferson and Sixth Avenue. “It’s the heartbeat of the city,” said Ashworth.
Marquas can’t help but think of what this building may move others to become. “The real history is five or 10 years from now when we can celebrate 30, 40, 50-plus businesses that have come out of this. When we are celebrating the new Black millionaires that exist in Iowa or celebrating the uptick in Black homeownership because of this that’s when the real victories, that’s when I’ll take the pat on the back. Until then I just want to keep working.”
Ashworth expects doors to open at Center @ Sixth some time in October. The total cost of the project is expected to be around $8.5 million.
