Air Quality Concerns Over Des Moines Financial Center Building -- MesoLink.org -- 07-07-05

There are concerns about the hundreds of people that work in the Financial Center based downtown in Des Moines, as well as those that visit the center. This is because recent testing has revealed higher than average levels of a number of toxic substances, including mold, lead, and asbestos.

The building, located at 6th and Walnut, is in need of repairs. Contained in the building is a Walgreen’s store, Wells Fargo Bank, and company offices. The twenty-five-story building, which was built in 1972, is in need of a number of repairs to bring it up to standards.

The tower part of the building was found to have above average levels of lead and mold in the air. Asbestos levels that were above average were found in the air on the eighth floor of the building. The testing was carried out by an independent contractor that was hired by the Wells Fargo company, as it occupies the majority of the building.

Following the results, Wells Fargo representatives have claimed that no asbestos was ever used in the construction of the building. Other sources think that the presence of asbestos could stem from the demolition of other buildings in the area that did contain the potentially deadly substance.