After hours of public forum, tedious deliberation by the Ames City Council and an utterly useless “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” rendition of the mall controversy by Councilwoman Sharon Wirth, the council made the best decision for the future growth of Ames — move the area designated for regional commercial center to Interstate 35 and 13th Street.

Without question, the change to the Land Use Policy Plan brings Tennessee developer James “Bucky” Wolford a pigeon’s step closer to building a regional mall on 13th Street. But support of the council’s decision to allow him to make such a small but important step doesn’t stem from the desire for a larger Gap or an Abercrombie & Fitch store; the support is for the investment in Ames’ future.

If Ames wants to continue to grow, it must attract retail and professional businesses to draw in more citizens and prevent continued migration of those already living here — especially students. Biotechnology firms and other corporations are already considering Ames as an ideal location because of Iowa State and continued growth of the city is a must to preserve such interests.

The money brought in will also help continue Ames’ growth. By bringing in more jobs, it will create more competitive wages because there will be more employment opportunities. Revenue for the city will also be generated by the 7 percent sales tax burden in Ames that will be paid by every person visiting the mall, bringing in money from outside the city.

Ketelsen Marsh, just north of the new location for a regional mall, needs to be considered when any issue about the mall is addressed. Despite Ketelsen’s high elevation, and the fact that winds in Ames normally come out of the north, pollution effects need to be ardently studied to minimize or avoid any destruction of the Ketelsen habitat.

Environmental fears aside, the 13th Street site is simply a better site than Interstate 35 and U.S. Highway 30. The location at 13th Street is easily visible from the interstate, and the exits are more suitable for traffic the mall would bring. It’s also a cheaper site for construction with easily extended accessible sewage lines.

North Grand Mall will inevitably suffer the most of retail stores in Ames. The downtown district has a different appeal than a mall and will draw an entirely different consumer, but North Grand will lose its customers to Bucky’s mall.

However, any pain and suffering felt by North Grand is its own fault. In over three decades of existence, North Grand Mall has failed to expand to meet the needs of Ames. The footprint of the building is the same as it was the day it opened in 1971.

A new regional mall will invest in the future of Ames, and North Grand has failed to do so. Growth, when reasonable, is a must for any city.