With some help from the Ames City Council, downtown Ames may soon resemble the vision of the Ames Cultural District organization.

Organization officials said a cultural district would combine local history, the arts and locally owned businesses to create a special destination for visitors.

The cultural district, roughly defined as the area bounded by Sixth Street and Main Street on the north and south and by Grand Avenue and the Ames power plant, 200 E. 5th St. on the west and east, was planned by the Ames Community Arts Council in its “Ames 2020” cultural planning process in 2000, said Kathy Svec, council board member.

The Ames Cultural District organization, which was known as the Main Street District until January, includes many downtown businesses and is leading the formation of the district, said Joyce Durlam, past president and current membership chairwoman of the Ames Cultural District.

“We’re trying to maintain the vitality of downtown,” Durlam said. “We feel downtown is the heart of the community, and we’re proactive about keeping it that way.”

The cultural district would combine the retail and service options of the downtown area with its cultural attractions, including city parks and public buildings, she said. The Ames Cultural District would organize community events throughout the year such as art walks, farmers’ markets and public performances.

“In the cultural district, the anchors would be the library, Bandshell Park and the historic architecture, not a Younkers or Penny’s, like in a mall,” Svec said.

The idea for the cultural district in Ames came from successful districts in other Midwest cities, such as Galena, Ill., Lawrence, Kan. and the Washington University neighborhood in St. Louis, Svec said.

The Ames Cultural District is in the first stage of its membership drive and hopes to raise awareness and funds to make the cultural district a reality, Svec said.

“We need $60,000, which we think is doable,” she said.

The funding would pay for a full-time cultural district coordinator, a unified advertising fund to promote the district and other associated costs, Durlam said.

The organization is working to get current business members to extend their memberships for another year.

Next, the cultural district organization hopes to add all other businesses and residents within the borders of the district and then open membership to the general public, Svec said.

The organization is looking for grants and funding from city government as well, Durlam said.

The city has set aside $100,000 for building improvements in the downtown area, said Claire Bills, public relations officer for the city. The Ames Cultural District is asking for $60,000 from this fund over the next three years to help establish the district.

The Ames City Council will decide whether to allocate the money in budget meetings this month.

A new mall in Ames probably would not affect the cultural district, Svec said, but the debate it inspired was a good sign for those trying to organize the district.

“One heartening thing about the new mall discussion was the undercurrent of support for Main Street,” she said. “Now we want to see people’s support translate into funding.”