Valo is a mixed-use development located adjacent to the Drake University campus in Des Moines, IA. This five-story, 110,000 sq ft mixed-use building east of Drake University will be Phase 1 of a project that will eventually conclude with the development of the southern half of the block along University Avenue (Phase 2). The building will include 116 residential units and ~11,200 sq ft of commercial space on the ground floor along Carpenter Avenue, which will include micro-retail units that will support entrepreneurial activity in the area. The dwelling units will be available in five different sizes: studio, studio plus, one-bedroom, one-bedroom plus, and 2-bedrooms.

This project was conceptualized through a collaborative effort with Drake University and the City of Des Moines. Merge entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement with Drake University in 2021. An Urban Renewal Development Agreement was entered into between the City of Des Moines and Merge, LLC in March 2022. The land and buildings were purchased from Drake University in May 2022. The buildings were razed in Summer 2023 in preparation for the construction.