Whether the new mall will be built in Ames is still up in the air.

The Ames City Council approved rezoning of the land located at the intersection of East 13th Street and Interstate 35 in December. The rezoning changed the land from agricultural to regional commercial use. With the rezoning, the City Council approved the developer’s agreement to build the new mall at that location.

Bob Kindred, assistant city manager, said the new mall would consist of two main parts. The development on the north side of East 13th Street would be a lifestyle center, and the south side would be a power strip. The lifestyle center would have more of an outdoor feel, and the power strip would be a collection of large stores in a strip-mall setting.

At its April 11 meeting, the City Council voted 4-2 in favor of changing the Ames land-use policy plan from regional commercial to industrial. If this passes, the December rezoning of the land will be negated.

The Ames Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to review the zoning plan at its Wednesday meeting as a result of the vote. The recommendations of the commission will then be looked at by the City Council at its May 9 meeting.

“[The Planning and Zoning Commission] will make an advisory to the council, but the council does not have to abide by the recommendations,” Kindred said.

“It has happened in the past where the commission advised to leave the land as it was, and the council voted to change the land. This is quite possibly what happens again.”

Councilman Steve Goodhue, who represents the 2nd Ward, did not support sending the zoning back to the commission.

“Although the council is not bound to follow the planning commission’s recommendations, we try to take it into account,” Goodhue said.

Goodhue recently announced that he will resign from the City Council this summer to take a job in Des Moines. This may affect the outcome of the proposed mall.

“[My resignation] should not affect it,” he said. “[The issue] comes back to the council on May 9.”

Goodhue said he anticipates the vote will take place at the meeting, and the council could go in any direction.

“Over the next few weeks, the developers and representatives will be submitting a master plan for the proposed development,” Kindred said.

“Right now, there are two opposite approaches proceeding at the same time, and at some point they will intersect. It is very hard to say what will happen then.”

Both Kindred and Goodhue said something needs to be done to resolve the conflict.

“For the sake of the community, I hope that in the near future there will be some resolution,” Goodhue said.