A second mall would be damaging to other retail centers in Ames, but expanding North Grand Mall would benefit Ames, presenters said at a meeting organized by a group opposing a new mall.

Owners of North Grand Mall discussed the impact a competing large-scale shopping center would have on Ames’ retail climate and explained plans to double the size of North Grand Mall at the Ames Smart Growth Symposium. The symposium was co-sponsored by the Ames Smart Growth Committee and 1,000 Friends of Iowa.

Ames and the surrounding area could not support a second mall, said Carol O’Grady, director of marketing and corporate communications for L&H Real Estate Group, which owns North Grand Mall. Three independent studies — one commissioned by L&H; one commissioned by the developers of the new mall, Wolford Development; and one compiled by Ken Stone, professor of economics — reflect this assertion, she said.

“Two malls could not operate successfully side by side in a community this size with slow population growth,” O’Grady said. “Building a new mall would cannibalize the successful North Grand Mall and retail markets across the city.”

The studies show a new mall would affect retail areas along Grand Avenue, on South Duff Avenue, in Campustown and in downtown Ames, she said.

Smart Growth, Minnesota urban designer Rich McLaughlin said, is a method of city planning emphasizing mixed-use buildings, compact city design and abundant green space. An ideal smart-growth neighborhood would include retail and residential space, often contained in the same buildings, and schools within a quarter-mile radius of a city center such as a park or government building, he said.

L&H representatives also discussed an expansion of North Grand Mall that could begin as soon as the Wolford proposal was abandoned by the city. The expansion would add 300,000 square feet of retail space and redesign both the interior and exterior of the existing building.

The entrances and facade of the mall would be redesigned and a new food court with outdoor seating would be added, said Edmund L. Sadleir, Senior Vice President of Development and Construction at L&H. Inside, skylights and interior graphics would be added, as well as new floors, he said.

The site plan would work with city infrastructure and utilities already available — unlike the Wolford proposal, which would require new infrastructure construction at the interchange of Interstate 35 and 13th Street, Sadleir said.

“The new North Grand Mall would stabilize the neighborhood and the community,” he said.

With expansion, North Grand Mall could have the same effect on local businesses as a new mall, said councilman Russ Cross.

“One thing to keep in mind is that these plans would make North Grand similar in size to the new mall being proposed, so the impact on existing businesses should be the same,” he said.

O’Grady disagreed.

“Our plans call for just 300,000 additional square feet,” she said. “Our research shows that 300,000 will be a little too much for a couple of years, but eventually the population growth will more than catch up.”

No representatives for Wolford Development were at the symposium.

The L&H Group also spoke about a $1.5 million offer it made to the Ames City Council in exchange for favorable changes to the city’s Land Use Policy Plan and Mayor Ted Tedesco’s staunch refusal of the offer.

“Our intent with the letter was to make a good faith commitment for the betterment of our community,” O’Grady said. “To our understanding, it was an entirely ethical, legal and appropriate response to the repeated requests of the Ames City Council and administration to demonstrate our commitment in financial terms to redeveloping North Grand.”