Property at the corner of Hayward Avenue and Hunt Street may be in consideration as the site of a new apartment complex.

“There is interest to buy that area and put up apartment complexes,” said Nathan Johnston, ex officio student member of the Ames City Council and at-large seat candidate. “It is something that has come up that [the City Council] thinks will happen.”

Jeff Benson, Ames city planner, said he was unaware of any developers looking at that site.

“I don’t know of any particular project for that area,” he said.

The planning department would not know of buyers until plans actually came through, Benson said. Hayward Avenue and Hunt Street are part of an area in Campustown that has been zoned to be a high-density residential area, so the project is very feasible — no rezoning would occur.

A similar project is already underway on Hayward Avenue and Chamberlain Street, Benson said. Three houses have been knocked down to make room for an apartment complex to be constructed by Jensen Property Management. The new complex will stand at least five stories high, with the bottom story used for commercial purposes.

Johnston plans to lobby against the new project and wants the houses to be preserved as they currently stand. Students should be given more opportunities to live in an environment that is not entirely at the mercy of landlords, he said.

“We want something that guarantees students that housing experience,” Johnston said.

Meetings to further discuss the fate of the property are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday at Ames City Hall, 515 Clark Ave.