The Main Street beautification project is progressing on schedule, and construction should be completed by Nov. 1, said Mark Reinig, liaison to the Ames Main Street District.

“Most of Main Street is poured now, from Duff Avenue to Kellogg [Avenue], so they’re going to be working on sidewalks and stuff,” said Reinig, economic development coordinator for the city.

The parameters of Main Street will not be changed by the construction, he said, but the downtown’s appearance will be.

“The big differences will be fewer trees; there’ll be designs in the sidewalks,” he said. “The sidewalks are the same size, the streets are the same size, so I think the biggest change will be the cohesiveness of the downtown from one end to the other, with Main Street being the focal point.”

A feature of the new downtown will be an artistic look, he said.

Monuments containing artwork detailing historical aspects of Ames will be erected along the streets. A wall with ceramic tiles also is being built where Burnett Avenue intersects with Main Street.

Though Main Street currently is marred by fences and construction vehicles, the end result will be quite attractive, Reinig said.

“Right now, it’s in a transitionary stage,” he said. “I think when it’s done it will be very beautiful.

“Once we get street lights up, that should give more definition to the area, and there will be benches and artwork,” he said. “I think people are excited at seeing how the pieces are coming together.”

Maggie Wynja, member of the Ames Main Street District, said she is pleased with Main Street’s new appearance.

“I think it looks great,” said Wynja, owner of American Country, 327 Main St. “I think the brick sidewalks really add a lot of interest to the area. We’re really thrilled with it.”

Trees will not be planted along Main Street until next year, she said.

“They said right now the selection of trees is not good,” she said. “They want to get some quality trees planted.”

The city spent $1.5 million last year on Fifth Street construction and is spending $3.5 million on the current construction.

Reinig said downtown shop owners, patrons and city officials all were involved in the decision to spend $5 million to revamp the shopping district.

“A lot of the infrastructure needed to be repaired; the sidewalks needed to be repaired, but also this was something to make it into a special place, something different from what you’d normally see around Ames,” he said.

Currently, Main Street is open from the Burnett Avenue intersection to the Kellogg Avenue intersection and closed between Kellogg and Duff Avenues. The Clark Avenue intersection also temporarily is closed.