The Ames Downtown Charrette is an attempt to gain input on how the Ames downtown area could be improved.

Interviews with people around the Ames community will be held to open the topic for discussion.

The charrette, which will be held from Sept. 19 to 23, is an effort to attract ISU students and stimulate growth downtown.

The City of Ames has a contract with the Charrette Center of Minneapolis to help organize the event. According to the City of Ames Web site, the charrette process “is being used to identify a catalyst project to stimulate additional growth in the downtown area.”

“I’m excited about the whole process,” said City Councilman Matthew Goodman.

“I hope the result is something the whole community can support in general, no matter what they choose.”

The City Council hopes to get students involved in the process, so the downtown area can become a place that students will be more likely to be involved with in the future.

Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco described the event as a “meeting for ideas.”

“City Council had a goal of doing projects in the downtown area,” he said. “We asked, ‘What could we do to make it a better gathering place?'”

Tedesco said he hopes students will come with ideas. Lack of events and a distance gap between campus and downtown were possible reasons students are not involved as much as the city would like, he said.

“We’ve done several projects with this type of beginning and we’re looking forward to ideas,” Tedesco said.

Angela Groh, Government of the Student Body president, is to be interviewed by Charrette Center Town Design on Sept. 20. Groh said she is willing to help, but is not yet sure what will be asked of her.

“I think one thing that would help get students more involved in the downtown would be better publicity of things going on downtown,” she said.

Groh said it is important for students to know the city is interested in getting them involved, and is excited about the outcome.

Matt Flynn, director of planning, housing and economic development for the city, said he has been working with Charrette Center Town Design to try to establish a satellite office, possibly in the College of Design Building on campus, to help foster student involvement. He said busy schedules and a lack of understanding could be reasons students aren’t as involved downtown as the city would like.

“There needs to be more establishments that cater to a younger population,” Flynn said. “It’s very important for local government and the city to reach out and try different tactics to get more students involved.”

A final presentation and press conference will be held at noon Sept. 23 in the auditorium of the Ames Public Library.