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facebook.com/ ZweigGroup Blunck identify any eyewitnesses, says Parizek, so it’s not clear why, or how, or from where, Blunck fell. And while plenty of fo- rensic evidence was collected at the scene, it is still being processed, along with a toxicology report and the full au- topsy. The only things that have been definitively ruled out are stroke and heart attack. “There is still potential that it could turn into a criminal investigation,” Parizek says. “A couple of interviews have raised more questions than they’ve answered.” Blunck had planned to collect a large sum of money that day from an associate. Parizek says that Blunck indeed collected money the day of his death, but it was the second in a two-part installment, and that the transaction was part of a “totally legit business deal.” Shortly after news of his death broke, a report was pub- lished saying Blunck had planned to collect a large sum of money that day from an associate. Parizek says that Blunck indeed collected money the day of his death, but it was the second in a two-part installment, and that the transaction was part of a “totally legit business deal.” A graduate of MIT, Blunck was considered a leader in Iowa’s historic preservation scene, and according to his obituary, over the course of his career received a great deal of recog- nition, including a 2002 AIA National Honor Award for in- terior architecture. The cornerstone of his work in the East Village was the com- panion projects in the 500 block of Locust Street. There, Blunck bought and renovated two adjoining historical buildings, the Teachout and the Hohberger, and had both of them restored. He also owned the Locust Tap, one of Des Moines’ oldest taverns, across the street. He bought the Teachout and Hohberger for a combined $317,740 in the late 1990s, and by 2015, the appraised value of the buildings was $1.9 million, according to Polk County real estate records. The renovation of the Teachout Various reports out of Des Moines paint a portrait of a complicated man – a prominent architect on one hand, and on the other, a deadbeat developer in deep debt with the city. A review of the docket in Polk County District Court confirms the worst things that were said of Blunck.

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and the Hohberger came at a time when the East Village was all but abandoned. The neighborhood is now the city’s top hotspot for arts and entertainment, and Blunck is consid- ered the founding catalyst for the area’s renaissance. There are as many as 10 active developers in the East Village area, and when and if the Blunck buildings ever go on the market, they’re expected to generate lots of interest, con- firmed an agent at the Des Moines office of CBRE , a global commercial real estate firm. But various reports out of Des Moines paint a portrait of a complicated man – a prominent architect on one hand, and on the other, a deadbeat developer in deep debt with the city. A review of the docket in Polk County District Court confirms the worst things that were said of Blunck. The list of cases is long, and in many of them, he is listed as the defendant or the debtor. Banks, contractors, engi- neering firms, and construction companies, all tussled with Blunck. And shortly after his death, at least four claims in the amount of $53,600 were immediately made against his estate in probate court, according to Polk County records. “It caught the public’s attention and their imagination went wild. The rumors took on a life of their own.” And assistant city manager Matthew Anderson says Blunck owed about $1.17 million in loans and interest to the city of Des Moines, which loaned him $285,000 on the Teachout and $400,000 on the Hohberger. Neither of the defaulted development loans, with a combined accrued interest of $490,000 at the time of Blunck’s death, were secured. With his spotless, public profile on one hand, and a ques- tionable past on the other, it was seemingly inevitable that people would speculate as to the cause of his death. “It caught the public’s attention and their imagination went wild,” Parizek said, referencing a host of sensational stories. “The rumors took on a life of their own.” EAST VILLAGE REBORN Kirk Blunck was among those with an early vision for the East Village and its potential as a vibrant retail, commercial, and residential district for the city of Des Moines. We are grateful for his contributions to the development of the Historic East Village. He had a true passion for architecture and historic preservation, and we are saddened to hear news of his passing. — The Board of Directors, Historic East Village Neighborhood Association Banks, contractors, engineering firms, and construction companies, all tussled with Blunck.

rch 28, 2016, ISSUE 1145

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