Disagreement over the proposal of a new shopping mall at 13th Street and Interstate 35 continues, despite the proposal never having been formally proposed to the Ames City Council.

Rep. Ed Fallon, D-Des Moines, said there are several reasons for concerns.

“[The proposed new mall] would shift the commerce from downtown Ames and North Grand Mall to an area outside of the city,” Fallon said.

It would also take up land better for suited industrial development and hurt the Jim Kettleson Greenwing Marsh, a marshland located in east Ames, he said.

“It doesn’t make any sense to consider residential or commercial development in that area,” Fallon said.

Fallon is executive director of 1,000 Friends of Iowa, an environmental group based in Des Moines circulating a petition to stop the mall from being constructed on the proposed site.

“We have over 1,700 signatures on the petition from our members,” he said. “The reason why it affects us is because Story County has the third largest group of membership in our organization.”

Fallon said it is possible the developer, Wolford Development, Inc., will be presenting his plan to the Ames City Council in the near future. If there is a proposal to the city council, Fallon said he is unsure of what 1,000 Friends of Iowa will do with the petition.

“We expect most of our members to be at the city council meeting when it’s proposed,” he said.

Ames city council member Sharon Wirth said she is frustrated about the attention the proposal has received.

“People in the community think it’s a done deal but it’s not,” Wirth said. “No formal request has been made to the city council and there hasn’t been any information given to us to make a decision.”

Prior to making a decision about the new mall site, Wirth said there is much information that needs to be analyzed. There will be opportunities for public input on the proposal before a decision is made as well, she said.

Mayor Ted Tedesco said it is important to examine how a new mall could affect all of central Iowa, not just Story County or Ames.

“I have heard the proposal would be proposed to the city council for months now,” Tedesco said. “A new mall might make North Grand Mall a better shopping center. It would be improper for the city council to vote against it based on the competition factor.”

Kurt Carlson, general manager at North Grand Mall, said there is growing concern another mall may be unnecessary.

“We have a nice mall and downtown shopping area,” he said. “It will be very difficult for two malls to survive in the Ames market.”

Currently, North Grand Mall is evaluating the possibility of expanding the mall, Carlson said.

“We have had some department stores contact us and a few restaurant chains, but right now there is no timeline on when the proposal will go to the city council,” he said.