The Ames City Council approved a $5,000 Neighborhood Improvement Program grant to help renovate DZ Triangle at the council meeting Tuesday night.

In order to receive the grant, a project must “include permanent physical improvements to the neighborhood” and “improve the appearance of the neighborhood,” according to the city of Ames website.

The DZ Triangle renovation project received enough points to meet the grant requirements and was approved by the grant review panel on March 17.

DZ Triangle is a small piece of land located at the intersection of Sunset Drive and Pearson Avenue.

The Student Affairs Commission approved plans to renovate the area in order to prevent vandalism and couch burning and also to create a community gathering area.

The project will include a brick patio, limestone seating and bricks that alumni can purchase to have their name, graduation year or greek chapter engraved.

In addition, four pillars will be constructed that represent the scholarship, philanthropy, friendship and leadership aspects of the greek community.

“A number of student groups have been working on this,” said Matt England, senior in aerospace engineering and ex-officio student representative on the council. “We have been designing this project, fundraising [and] contacting companies to help us with this.”

The total cost of the project is $32,383.44. In addition to the $5,000 city grant, Iowa State is contributing $2,000, the ISU greek community is giving $3,000 and GSB has committed to $10,000 for the renovation.

Members of the greek community and the Student Society of Landscape Architecture will be providing labor for the project.

“This project has been tried in the past and failed,” England informed city council. “We’re confident that we’ll actually get a project done this time.”

Construction is expected to begin April 30 and finish next year.