I agree. Something like cvs that would drive traffic to the area would help other stores. My question was just if they were strictly looking at established chains to fill the space. I could care less what direction they go
Kingland Systems update
- Thread starter ribsnwhiskey
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I agree. Something like cvs that would drive traffic to the area would help other stores. My question was just if they were strictly looking at established chains to fill the space. I could care less what direction they go
Right, I'm not saying the Champlins are victims or anything. I just think it's an odd change of stance by the city in terms of "historical preservation". You sound like you know more about what happened than I do, but I remember the owners of that building ******** about having to keep the original floors and ceilings and some other things due to the "historical" nature of the building. But then again, they may have just been ******** for the sake of ********.
I know one of the plumbers that worked on the remodel. He said it was a nightmare and it had nothing to do with the city. Very poorly planned, managed and funded. They basically didn't know what they were doing and it took something like 6 months longer than they had planned, hence the extensive costs. Then of course, they didn't know how to run the business after it opened. I'm sure they were happy to sell after all of that. The current bar should look into moving into the empty bar where Chasers was.
How do you get "making it sound like this project is destroying Campustown" from "At the same time, Spencer Hughes, president of GSB, sent a letter to the Ames City Council on Sunday requesting that the council delay action on the agenda items dealing with the Kingland project in order to give students more time to voice their opinions on the changes." That's literally the only mention of the GSB president in the story ... asking the city for time for the students to voice their opinions. Considering it's the first week of classes and students are just now back on campus, that seems like a logical request. It's certainly not claiming the project is "destroying Campustown."
The Facebook page, yeah, that's a political science student with a cause, I grant you that.
(In the interests of openness, why yes, I am related to the GSB president. Why do you ask? :wink
Yep you got me. I think I was mixing the FB comments with the ISD article. Tell your brother/son/nephew/cousin that I'm sorry :smile:
I do agree that the students should have some say but I'm definitely in the group that thinks a CVS or Walgreens would be great. Possibly add in some local businesses or places to grab lunch; this could be a great project for Ames in general.
this isn't as big of a deal as people are making it out to be. I've heard they are moving Yokes to a bigger place. Jeff's is staying, which is good.My question is, why are people getting mad now?
This has been in the works for awhile, why didn't the students step up earlier in the process? That group on facebook aren't the only people that want kingland to not remodel, but making a group to put attention to this on august 25, 2 days later is a vote from the ACC about a tax incentive.
To summarize, if the students think they would have made a difference, they should have spoke up awhile ago. Pretty much too late now.bad quality pic of what it'll look like.https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201239450960833&set=o.218020095019236&type=1&ref=nf
This has been in the works for awhile, why didn't the students step up earlier in the process? That group on facebook aren't the only people that want kingland to not remodel, but making a group to put attention to this on august 25, 2 days later is a vote from the ACC about a tax incentive.
To summarize, if the students think they would have made a difference, they should have spoke up awhile ago. Pretty much too late now.bad quality pic of what it'll look like.https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201239450960833&set=o.218020095019236&type=1&ref=nf
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The rendering looks good, imo. I think it goes without saying that campustown has been in need of some renovation\redevelopment for a long time. The main concern would be that it still needs to be a student area and an entertainment district first, and not forced to be a 'something for everyone' kind of area like the last developer tried to do. A hotel would be good. Complete redevelopment of the block west of welch and south of lincoln way could be good, provided it was done with the entertainment\students in mind.
Funny, that is what the first developer wanted to do. Raze the the area west of welch and build a hotel. Which would have been a great change. The comic book nerds were the loudest opposition to that project. I've been to a lot of other college campus-towns and the better ones have been places where there is something for everyone. I'm not sure how or why that is a bad thing. People like me don't patronize campustown businesses because it is mainly student oriented. I'm sure business owners would love to have more business from non-students. But then again, what do I know?
Also, an FYI to the youngsters, the old Peoples/Yokes building used to be a drug store before it was a bar. And students at ISU still had a good experience with campustown. Imagine that!
Because 90% of them didn't know anything about it because they don't follow along with the things going on in the area until someone at the Daily tells them they need to be upset. Then they assemble with the same 90% having no idea whats going on in general. I'm not a student anymore and may hit CT once or twice a year tops, so I don't have any skin in the game, but having a Walgreens or something similar there when I was living in Cyclone Plaza would have been awesome. Beyond awesome actually and it would be accessible to much of campus as well as all of the housing right around Campustown.
There are plenty of other areas in ames for everyone. Campustown should be a student\entertainment area first, and thats what lane4 seemed to be failing to do. The hotel was the only good part of that. Trying to shoehorn in the types of grocery\retail that have never succeeded on welch and pushing out bars? Not a good idea. Now if you razed the whole block and brought in investors to bring a new class of bars (along with other entertainment... a mini power and light might be interesting), then you might have a concept that would work.
How many bars have been successful in the long term there? Maybe having one fewer wouldn't be all that bad. Wasn't Yokes about due for a name change anyway?
The old timers will have to help out on this one. I was at ISU when Peoples Drug closed and the place was converted into a bar. As I recall the drug store was successful, but I don't recall why it closed. Losing their lease maybe???
Anyway, I shopped at Peoples Drug store quite a bit and I recall the place always having traffic. It's hard to imagine how a Campustown CVS/Walgreens would not be successful.
Anyway, I shopped at Peoples Drug store quite a bit and I recall the place always having traffic. It's hard to imagine how a Campustown CVS/Walgreens would not be successful.
Personally I think a CVS/walgreens type store would be suited better at the old CBS/Alpha copies builiding instead of the entrance to the campustown that is geared for students.
Isn't the office space in Chamberlain lofts still siting empty?
Isn't the office space in Chamberlain lofts still siting empty?
If you're thinking of the old club element building, you're wrong. That building is a dumb investment.
There is a color rendering of the building at about 1 hr 10 min into this video, they also show a preliminary site plan sometime before that
Ames Channel 12 LIVE streaming video - Powered by LEIGHTRONIX PEG Central ®
You're right. The student bar scene and myself included preferred to see it rot/sit empty.
Why wouldn't you want beautiful old buildings, including an old theatre torn down for cookie cutter, crappy new construction. I can understand why a 19yr old wouldn't give a xxxx, but I would expect more from the city.
Many of those buildings are in poor shape and have structural issues. The old theater has seen its day and will not be a theater again (GSB tried to reopen and failed due to the feasibility of it). There are plenty of bars for students to frequent and the whole first floor of this development will be retail (restaurants/bars, shops, etc.). The office space will be on the second and third floors (Kingland on 2nd floor, ISU on 3rd). Having more people in that area during the day (estimated 200-300 employees this project would result in) will also help the business in campustown.
