As ISU and Ames city government officials weigh in on the status of Campustown, members of the Government of the Student Body have begun expressing their own ideas regarding the area. GSB members suggested the area could be geared more toward younger students with businesses other than bars and could include more multipurpose outdoor areas.

Noah Wiese, Campustown representative and graduate student in materials science and engineering, said that, overall, he enjoys Campustown’s current atmosphere, but there are some things he feels would make the area more attractive to more people.

“I like the idea of having a pedestrian mall and a program to clean up trash better,” Wiese said. “I would also like to see more outdoor entertainment options for the under-21 crowd.”

Phil Hernandez, Schilletter University Village representative and graduate in education leadership and policy studies, said that a possible solution to help get the under-21 crowd involved in Campustown would be to work with residence life on campus and put an emphasis on social interaction.

He said Stomping Grounds, 303 Welch Ave., is a good example of a business that can work. Hernandez also said a larger-scale, multipurpose area could be added to Campustown to host events geared toward younger students.

“It is important to keep the residence life crowd in mind because it is so close and there needs to be a give and take with them in Campustown,” Hernandez said.

Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco responded to some of the concerns raised by GSB members.

“Students need to be more boisterous to businesses about keeping the area clean,” Tedesco said.

Tedesco suggested GSB start a campaign to ask businesses to be more responsible about keeping Campustown clean, and ask pedestrians not to throw gum, an eyesore pointed out by a senator at a forum on Campustown last week.

“GSB could be a great place to start initiatives,” Tedesco said.

Tedesco said he wanted to remind those interested in making changes to Campustown the city has limited revenues. He also said there was a large sum of money poured into improving the aesthetics of Campustown in the early 1990s.

Other, non-aesthetic changes are also planned for Campustown.

The current firehouse located on Welch Avenue is projected to be moved as part of a long-range plan to accommodate the spread of housing in the western portion of Ames, Tedesco said.

“It is a part of an ongoing policy,” Tedesco said.