In most communities with a large, active university, the blocks closest to campus provide the perfect location for a bustling retail sector. Decades ago, campus business districts would house pizza places, gift shops, ice cream parlors and clothing stores. Those once vibrant business corridors have a distinctly different look and feel to them today. While campus retail sectors still serve as central gathering places for large numbers of people, the charm, stability and destination shops of the past have been replaced by businesses that appeal to a much smaller demographic.

Public Input Session

Time: 6 p.m.

Date: Thursday

Place: Memorial Union, South Ballroom

Everyone is invited to share opinion, concerns and visions for a renovated Campustown.

“Why should I shop there anymore?”

It’s a question I hear frequently in the field of retail redevelopment. In Ames, you may be asking the question about Campustown, but this same question is being asked all over the county about a variety of retail areas that have, over time, lost their appeal to core customers.

A walk down Welch Avenue in Ames provides an interesting glimpse into the world of today’s Campustown. The current business community is very much focused on a niche market and a young demographic. Campustown is an active evening destination with entertainment, socializing and dining as motivating factors, but the area appears to be underutilized during the day hours.

As the director of development for LANE4 Property Group, one of the fastest growing commercial real estate companies in the Midwest, I was excited to learn the city of Ames had partnered with Iowa State to consider a major rehabilitation project in the area south of campus. This is the type of project LANE4 Property Group actively seeks, and we have many examples of similar, successful mixed-use, office, retail and hospitality projects throughout the United States.

Recently, the Ames City Council selected LANE4 as the Master Developer for the Ames Campustown Redevelopment Project. Our company will be studying the property from Lincoln Way to Chamberlin Avenue, and from Hayward Avenue to Stanton Avenue to determine how this area can best meet the needs of the nearby university population, as well as draw residents from the community.

As we embark on our planning process, we need community input to help define the vision of this redevelopment project. Representatives of LANE4 will be in Ames to gather information from a wide array of stakeholders about this issue Thursday and Friday. There are specific sessions for students, property owners, university administration and others. One of the most important groups will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Memorial Union, South Ballroom. This is the public input session for anyone to attend.

What would a new Campustown offer that would interest you? What is missing in the current retail mix? Your opinion can help shape the future of this key commercial area. Please join us Thursday, and share your thoughts.