A new mall in east Ames would have little effect on downtown and Campustown stores, owners and managers from both areas said.

A regional mall double the size of North Grand Mall could be built at the interchange of U.S. Interstate 35 and 13th Street after the Ames City Council approved a resolution Wednesday changing the city’s Land Use Policy Plan map to accommodate such a retail center. Tennessee-based developer James “Bucky” Wolford has proposed the new mall and has optioned the land east of I-35.

Downtown and Campustown store owners said they would not lose customers to the mall because of the niche markets they serve.

“Campustown is primarily shopped by the university students,” said Lynn Lloyd, owner of Ridiculous Rags, 2414 Lincoln Way, and property manager of Champlin Properties, which owns several buildings in Campustown. “The ethnic restaurants and unique shops are not what you would see at a mall.”

Campustown businesses felt greater pressure from the expansion of the University Book Store and renovation of the Memorial Union food court in the mid-1990s than they would from a new mall, Lloyd said.

Susan Bedell, manager of Big Table Books, 330 Main St., said downtown would likely be unaffected for the same reasons.

“I honestly don’t see the impact on downtown being tremendous,” she said. “The specialty stores downtown are different than what you tend to see in a mall.”

Brian Smith, owner of Everts Flowers & Gifts, 329 Main St., said a regional mall could direct shoppers to the rest of Ames. “A mall at 13th Street could be a real messenger for the city,” he said.

Smith said he hoped the mall would display what Ames had to offer, including Iowa State and downtown, to draw regional shoppers into the city. Turning downtown into a cultural district would also help distinguish it from a large-scale shopping center, he said.

Ames City Manager Steve Schainker has recommended the City Council approve funding for the district, said Ames public relations office Claire Bills. The subject will come before the council within the next month.

At least one downtown merchant believed the mall would have a negative effect on the area.

“A mall will divert traffic away from downtown,” said Ronn Ritz, co-owner of Skunk River Cycles, 308 Main St. “The city has spent a bunch of money making downtown presentable — they should make the effort to promote as well.”

Downtown and Campustown entrepreneurs all agreed North Grand Mall would be most affected by a new regional shopping center.

Representatives from L&H Real Estate Group, which owns North Grand Mall, declined to comment on what could happen to their property if the new mall is built, but said the outlook is good at least for the next few years.

“We’re leased at 100 percent right now,” said Carol O’Grady, director of marketing and corporate communications for L&H. “North Grand is going to be a successful mall for a long time to come.”