Politics & Government
City Of Ames: Preliminary Work Begins On Downtown Plaza; Construction Planned In 2022
A small number of parking spaces in Municipal Lot N on Clark Avenue will be closed Thursday, Aug. 26, for soil borings. This activity wi ...
08/23/2021 9:00 AM
A small number of parking spaces in Municipal Lot N on Clark Avenue will be closed Thursday, Aug. 26, for soil borings. This activity will also impact the utility bill drop box in front of City Hall, which will be intermittently closed throughout the day. This work begins preliminary planning for the new Ames Downtown plaza project directly east of City Hall, 515 Clark Ave., between Fifth and Sixth streets.
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The Ames City Council has made redeveloping this property into interactive open space a priority as part of the Council goal to create a fun, vibrant community that attracts and retains residents. Construction is slated to start in 2022. The City has engaged nationally recognized landscape architecture firm, Confluence, to design the plaza and facilitate its completion.
“We’re taking an underutilized surface lot and transforming it into a vital community asset for our residents,” said Kelly Diekmann, Ames Planning and Housing Director. “For many years, this lot was identified on the City Council’s list of priorities for redevelopment. With the focus on public art, small gatherings, water features, and winter ice skating, the new plaza will complement our existing businesses and public spaces.”
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The initial concept for the approximately one-acre plaza was unveiled by City and Confluence staff for public comment earlier this year. Through a robust engagement process, residents identified water features, space for food trucks and small festivals – along with the public facilities to support them – as top priorities. The new design includes an interactive water feature and ice skating ribbon to promote year-round recreation. Public art will be featured throughout the park.
Additionally, the new plaza plays a role as a public investment related to the City’s application as an Iowa Reinvestment District, which seeks State of Iowa sales tax rebate funds for new economic development in Downtown Ames to help fund a proposed indoor aquatics center.