Construction on the new $128 million shopping center in Ames will begin next year, pending enough businesses commit to the project.

On Dec. 19, the Ames City Council voted to approve the master plan for the new shopping center to be located at East 13th Street and Interstate 35. The plan was passed with a 5-1 vote, with 1st Ward Councilman Dan Rice voting in opposition.

Prior to his membership as council member, Rice served on the planning and zoning commission, and has voiced reservations on the issue since the mall was proposed about five years ago.

There were also council members who had voted against the proposed development in the past, but voted for approval of the master plan, including 3rd Ward Councilman Ryan Doll.

Doll said the vote on Dec. 19 was more procedural, looking at whether the developer met all the requirements. He said he personally is still opposed to the mall and the location.

“[The Dec. 19 vote] was more of a design thing,” Doll said. “Morally and ethically I have to vote on the merits of ‘does it meet the law,'” Doll said.

Doll said one concern he has with the location is the increased costs that students will pay for a CyRide route between campus and the new mall.

“I would love to see more commerce [in Ames], but I think the east side is a bad spot,” Doll said.

Sticking by his initial vote, Rice said as a councilman he feels he needs to do what is best for Ames.

“I don’t think it’s good for Ames. The way the plan looked, the outparcels – it’s a bad city entrance,” Rice said. “My concerns are with the size and the scope. The lifestyle storefront will be a bunch of ticky-tacky crap.”

He said his biggest concern, however, is the outparcels. There will be about 13 that can be divided into three pieces, which will be about the length of eight city blocks to drive through, Rice said.

“I believe we’ve led the developer down a path that won’t work,” Rice said.

Craig Buske, student ex-officio City Council member, said he felt the developers had met all the requirements, and given the chance, he would have voted in approval.

“[Mall approval is] obviously a really controversial issue,” Buske said.

“On one side, it’s good for economic development and to bring in more businesses and tax money. On the other side, it may be hurtful to existing businesses,” Buske said.

As for a general student opinion, he said he has heard a lot of opinions from both sides.

“I think the student opinions are about as divided as most of the community,” Buske said.

He said he thinks the mall will be good for Ames because it would bring in more entertainment and shopping options.

Because of expansion and renovation plans for North Grand Mall, there has been some question as to whether Ames could support having two malls.

Rice said the market studies that were done by Wolford Development – the developer for the project – are based on the assumption that North Grand Mall will become nonexistent.

However, North Grand Mall General Manager Kurt Carlson said the mall is still planning to pursue its own renovation and expansion plans.

Another concern is that tenants may leave North Grand for a spot at the new mall.

“It’s always a possibility at lease term,” Carlson said. “It’s always a concern when a tenant leaves.”

Carlson said competition isn’t necessarily bad and it may breed better shopping for everyone. However, he said he is unsure of whether Ames can support two malls.

“It would be speculation to say whether two malls could survive in Ames,” Carlson said.

Market studies performed by both North Grand and Wolford Development Inc. have shown there is enough demand to support retail space about twice the size of what North Grand is currently, said Jeff Benson, Ames city planner.

Although the master plan has been approved, construction will not begin for several months.

“In the developer’s agreement with the city, he [Wolford] has agreed not to start construction until he has gotten 330,000 square feet of retail space leased,” Benson said.

Some of that retail space leased has to be new to Ames, and some has to be major anchors, Benson said.

Wolford has until Dec. 1 to meet the requirements.

“They haven’t really decided yet [on the completion date],” Benson said.

“It depends a lot on design and engineering work that has to be done.”