To the Editor:

When Rose Rollenhagen and I researched the 1915 City Hall for the Landmark application, the story that emerged was one that could have been mistaken for 1990.

The previous City Hall was outgrown, and a solution was overdue. Wanting to plan for the long term, civic leaders assessed needs, looked at halls across the state, employed premiere architects, and built a state-of-the-art facility. On cornerstone laying day, fully half the town came, bursting with civic pride.

When City Council approved 1915 City Hall as our first Local Landmark, they did several things. They made a commitment to historic preservation in Ames and saved a piece of Ames history that symbolizes the visionary way we have always solved problems.

Now, the council has a chance to accept a proposal which will both preserve that building and use it in the way it was designed to function. Youth and Shelter Services will create a resource that will contribute to the community and serve as a model for adaptive re-use, keep 40 jobs downtown, and bring people into the area.

It’s a good plan that will serve many needs. We’ve waited long enough. The time is now!

Kathy Svec

Ames resident