Mayor Ted Tedesco gave resounding support for changing the Land Use Policy Plan to accommodate a new mall in his State of the City address Monday.

“Because the land use plan supports keeping Ames as a retail-enhanced area, I want to state my support in favor of changing the [Land Use Policy Plan] map to accommodate a regional shopping center located a mile north of the original site — to 13th Street and Interstate 35,” Tedesco said to the Ames Rotary Club at the Gateway Center.

Ames leaders should look at decisions that once appeared controversial made by past city leaders, Tedesco said. Decisions such as allowing what was then Iowa State College to be located in Story County, the building of Mary Greeley Hospital and the expansion of North Grand Mall were all controversial at first but benefited the community in the end, he said.

“In each case there was resistance and there were no doubt good reasons why they should not have proceeded with the projects,” Tedesco said. “But leaders of our community looked beyond the immediate fears of local residents and projected ahead to the future to serve residents of the region.”

Councilman Russ Cross said the mention of historical leaders was probably directed at the city council.

“In the heat of community debate, I thought his comments helped bring more of a historical view [to the issue],” Cross said.

He said part of Tedesco’s job was to provide leadership in times of debate.

Tedesco said the 13th Street location was better for a new mall because it would be more easily accessible and would create a new route for CyRide where there had previously been none.

He also supported it because of an increase in local sales tax revenue. Tedesco said Story County retail sales grew at 3.04 percent per year from 1998-2003. He compared this to the 6.99 percent growth rate of Johnson County’s retail sales after the completion of Coral Ridge Mall. A 6 percent growth rate would have given Story County an additional $1.3 million between 1998 and 2003.

“This amount would have been enough to fund 100 percent of Fire Station No. 3 or the reconstruction of the intersection of Lincoln Way and Grand Avenue,” he said.

Nathan Johnston, ex-officio student member of the Ames City Council, said Tedesco’s use of examples on controversial past decisions was a good way to bring the decision on the Land Use Policy Plan into perspective.

“It was a good way to address that issue, and he did it very effectively,” Johnston said.

Tedesco ended his speech by asking city leaders to foster growth in Ames.

“Our challenge today is to decide: Do we move forward and continue to grow and serve as a regional center for education, medicine, retail and research?” he said. “Or do we allow other communities around us to flourish while Ames slides backward?”