James “Bucky” Wolford, a mall developer from Tennessee, is proposing a brand new mall for the Ames area. The proposed mall at the intersection of Interstate 35 and 13th Street would shift the already existing commerce centers of the city of Ames to the periphery.

Wolford’s plan would seem more sensible for a community with a larger population, a community devoid of retail businesses or a community seeking economic development through bringing in semi-skilled labor. However, Ames already has three major centers of economic activity – downtown, Campustown and the North Grand area. Moreover, the city has focused on successfully developing the downtown area and attracting a variety of businesses. In a landscape dominated by cookie-cutter strip malls, the rejuvenated Ames downtown is an example of unique community identity and successful community development.

Ames also has more choices for economic development than most cities its size. A skilled, educated workforce can provide labor in a wider array of industries than the unskilled or semi-skilled labor required for many mall positions. Evidence of success in attracting such industries include the research park and myriad consulting businesses dependent upon the expertise of Ames area residents. Principles of regional economics hold that in places where industry experts can communicate face-to-face, economic growth occurs in those industries. For these reasons, Ames has more potential for economic growth in technical and scientific industries than many communities its size.

Ames has also recently attracted one-of-a-kind industry for semi-skilled and unskilled labor as well. The Barilla pasta plant provides employment for various skill levels, while being the first site Barilla constructed internationally and the first such plant in Iowa.

Ames is also a poor site for another mall because while it is one of the largest cities in Iowa, it is a retail satellite, not a magnet. Its proximity to Des Moines with its three – soon to be four – malls that each dwarf North Grand make Ames less than a retail destination. The market area for Des Moines subsumes the Ames market area, meaning that most of the business for the proposed Ames mall would be local, with a share of the local market still patronizing the Des Moines malls.

Finally, the proposed mall site is one that should be wisely developed. Because much of the prime real estate on the outskirts of Ames is owned by the university, land available for development is precious. Development should occur with long-term benefits rather than short-term profits in mind. Ames is a unique community. A new mall would neither provide an innovative economic addition, a beneficial community feature nor a clear financial asset.

Editorial Board: Cavan Reagan, Erin Randolph, Rachel Faber Machacha, Charlie Weaver, Ayrel Clark, Zach Calef.