The Ames Downtown Charrette project findings have identified a need to provide more housing and gathering opportunities downtown for residents, with the end goal of attracting young people to live downtown.

The findings, released early last week, did not recommend undergraduate ISU students be targeted, as they already have other housing and shopping opportunities.

“Bringing energy back to the core of the community is important,” said Peter Musty, co-owner of CharetteCenter Town Design, the Minneapolis firm hired to manage the charrette process. “The big picture is to think of downtown as a place for housing, and that’s a big way to get energy downtown.”

Musty said because student housing is already provided, the proposed housing project mainly targets young professionals, the older population and potential small business owners.

“Students should be thought of as a great market everywhere in Ames, but this is an opportunity to target certain students in downtown, especially grad students,” he said.

Musty said the increased expansion of student housing in West Ames did not affect how students were targeted.

“I’m concerned that they’re going to have a tough time filling even the ones under construction,” he said of the boom in apartment complexes being built in West Ames. “Students’ needs are changing, and you see that with the big shift of students westward.”

Matt Flynn, director of planning, housing and economic development for Ames, said he hopes the new housing choices will attract more young people to stay in Ames.

He said this is the goal of the revitalization process.

“In order to help downtown be a more vibrant place is to have 24-hour activity, and you create that by having people living downtown,” Flynn said.

Many people expressed concerns that not enough student input was involved and not enough students were targeted.

Tony Borich, ex-officio City Council student liaison and senior in community and regional planning, said there was some student involvement, but not a lot. He said he’s not surprised the proposal did not cater to students.

Angela Groh, president of the Government of the Student Body, said, despite being contacted, she was not provided with any information to pass on to students. She said she was surprised more students were not involved downtown, however.

“I wish students would be more of a target population for that area,” said Groh, senior in political science.

She said although downtown is not a primarily a student location, she felt more students should be involved.

“Part of the outcomes were to determine how Main Street can be for all members of the population,” she said.

“It makes me wonder what sort of outcomes we’re getting from the charette.”

The results of the Charrette project are still being reviewed before the final findings are presented at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Flynn said.