Sept. 23, 2010

Public meetings scheduled to discuss the latest on Campustown redevelopment

by Annette Hacker, News Service

Members of the Ames/ISU community are invited to participate in an update on Campustown redevelopment.

Public meetings

  • Sept. 28, City Council, 7 p.m., council chambers, City Hall
  • Sept. 29, Ames/ISU community, 5:30-6:30 p.m., MU Maintenance Shop
  • Sept. 29, GSB, GPSS, 7 p.m., MU Campanile Room

The public meeting will be held Wednesday, Sept. 29, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Memorial Union Maintenance Shop. Free popcorn will be served, and soft drinks may be purchased.

Representatives of Kansas City, Mo.-based LANE4 Property Group, the master developer tasked with creating a development concept for Campustown, will share the current project status and findings from public input sessions held in June. At that time, they asked community stakeholders for their thoughts on Campustown's strengths and weaknesses, and for their ideas about the types of retail, restaurants and amenities they'd like to see in the area south of the Iowa State campus.

Although Campustown redevelopment still is very much in the research stage, campus planner Cathy Brown said developers will articulate general concepts and next steps for the project at Wednesday's meeting. It's also another opportunity for people to ask questions and provide input.

"We are hearing a lot of the same things on the wish list for Campustown from students, faculty, staff, Ames residents who live near campus and those who live farther out in the community," Brown said.

The developers also scheduled public presentations at the Ames City Council meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 28; and at a meeting with representatives of the Government of the Student Body and Graduate and Professional Student Senate at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 29, in the MU Campanile Room.