The next phase of the ongoing redevelopment of Des Moines' Drake University business district is slated to include a pair of five-story, mixed-use buildings on Carpenter Avenue between 24th and 25th streets.

Though the 110,000-square-foot project would have more than 100 housing units, stores and offices, the planners say they are looking to balance the buildings' height with a more neighborhood-friendly scale.

While the overall height will be five stories, the portion that is closer to the historic neighborhood on the east side of 24th will be stepped down to three stories.

"A lot of the most adjacent buildings are about three stories, but you'll notice that the design has been sensitive to that and has stepped back in places," Naomi Hamlett, Des Moines economic development coordinator, told the city's Urban Design Review Board as it considered the plan Tuesday. "It also has a lot of glass so it doesn't feel as large at the pedestrian level."