Franklin Junior High

Group Creative Services Provides Creative Direction and Project Management for $8-Million Renovation of Former School

Group Creative Services provided initial project management for the renovation including working through the planning and zoning process and building relationships with the surrounding residential and business communities, building strong support for the project and shepherding it through PR, city council processes and the final PUD approvals.

Franklin Junior High opened as a school in 1951, became a church in 1980, and was bought by Des Moines developer Jeff Young in 2018. Young is converting the 213,000-square-foot building into a small boutique hotel and major concert venue with additional space for offices, restaurants, retail, and events. 

Group also provided creative direction for the $8-million renovation – playfully nodding to the building’s origins as a former school without being beholden to it. This direction encompasses everything from the architecture and landscape design to planning and marketing the building’s events.