About 60 people gathered at Bandshell Park on Monday to swap personal belongings – and ideas on how to keep a proposed mall from being built.

The park, located at 125 E. 5th St., was peppered with people, clothes, a photo display and food.

The Ames Quality of Life Network organized the Labor Day picnic, which began with a “Community Swapportunity” where various items were placed on tables for others to take for free.

Mary Swander, distinguished professor of English, emceed a “Community Conversation” highlighting several community members who spoke out against the possible new mall.

Woldford Development Inc., a Tennessee company, is putting together the proposal for a 700,000-square-foot mall to be built at Interstate 35 and 13th Street.

Developer “Bucky” Wolford was out of town and was unavailable for comment.

Ames resident Joe Lynch was the first to speak about alternatives to the mall. He said in two days they found more than 50 empty commercial spaces in Ames suitable for retail.

“To pretend there is only one way to approach this problem is not very honest,” Lynch said. “It’s going to take folks like us getting involved in community leadership and taking the road that might be a little more difficult.”

Steve Lekwa, another speaker, said building a new mall would damage the environment, putting the Ketelsen Marsh in danger because of its location next to the mall.

“I cannot see where it would enhance anything,” he said. “But the decision will be made on economics, at least somebody’s economics.”

Mary Sand, the third speaker, agreed about the negative impact the mall would have on the environment.

“If a new mall is built and the old mall is in decline we are looking at least an extra three miles to travel each way,” she said. “[That means] more cars in that area and more air pollution.”

Community members need to put pressure on civic leaders to control sprawl, Sand said.

Roger Berger from Ames Amateur Astronomers said building the mall would wipe out the southern half of the sky for star gazers.

“Even if they used the best strategy for lighting, there will be a huge amount of glow from reflections,” he said.

Ashly Kyber, an Ames resident of two years, said she worked with urban farmers in Detroit and believes producing things yourself is a better alternative to buying.

She said if a second mall is approved in the years to come, more construction will continue, which would wipe out land.

“Our children [will] still [be] buying their lives when they could be growing them in their backyard,” Kyber said.