Ames considering Menards and dinosaur museum

[Tre4ISU]

What are your better ideas for investment in? Not trying to be a smart ***. Just genuinely curious. I know I've got a few of my own.

I don't think the Convention Center would actually be that bad. With ISU being an Ag college they could hold a lot of different Ag Events there and I think there are a lot of Ag related people that would rather go to Ames/Ankeny than downtown Des Moines for something like that.

 

[NorthCyd]

Interesting on the dinosaur museum. Does ISU have some sort of secretly strong program that would make Ames an attractive place for such a thing?

Could be wrong, but I don't think ISU has a whole lot going for it in the field of paleontology. Sounds like someone hung an "ideas for development" poster on a wall and threw a dart.

 

[djcubby]

I suppose they think they will draw from Des Moines but they won't.

I live in Urbandale and have a 3 yr old son. I beg to differ.

 

[MNCyGuy]

Could be wrong, but I don't think ISU has a whole lot going for it in the field of paleontology. Sounds like someone hung an "ideas for development" poster on a wall and threw a dart.

That's what I thought, but I wasn't sure.

 

[2forISU]

What are your better ideas for investment in? Not trying to be a smart ***. Just genuinely curious. I know I've got a few of my own.

1) Home Depot or Menards would be great
2) Hotels-seems like they can never have enough
3) Restaurants/Local and not chains
4) If you want a museum work with the ISU/Pioneer/John Deere to come up with AG Museum. Aligns with the school and the state
5) I think make improvements to Main St. Look at Cedar Falls and what they have done.
6) Something that everyone can enjoy....http://www.bowlluckystrike.com/

 

[The_Architect]

I'd bring my kids up from WDSM to see the museum but I agree it's ridiculous.

 

[Mr Janny]

Small market and takes a lot of money to keep these exhibits running. Ask the Quad Cities about maintaining exhibits like this.

Because it's not a very big city and college students sure as hell aren't going to be frequenting the place. I suppose they think they will draw from Des Moines but they won't. It's also pretty expensive to maintain something like that. "Ames Considering Building a Dinosaur Museum" sounds like an article from The Onion. It's just ridiculous.

I think you guys should look up the museum that they're comparing it to. This isn't a fossils and skeletons, "science-y" type of museum. I mean, I'm sure it would have some of that, but it's more of an animatronic dinosaur display.

 

[nfrine]

The dinosaur museum sounds a lot the the grand Rain Forest Project promoters attempted to built in about 4 or 5 different Iowa towns a number of years back. Iowa City/Coralville, Grinnell, and Pella were just a few of the towns victimized by the promoters. The town of Coralville is still saddled with huge debt from investments they made to secure the proposed Rain Forest.

 

[Cy94]

Not sure about the Dino park. A nice miniature golf course would good for families and students.

 

[Rabbuk]

I'd love for Ames to get a Dinosaur museum. I'd take my daughter all the time. we go to Reiman all the time, but that gets old, and there's only so much you can do in the winter. More family friendly options entertainment would be great.

If you really cared you'd build your daughter a life-size dinosaur statue like that guy who made mission control for his son.

 

[nfrine]

It's interesting that the company proposing the dino museum is an investment company.

Welcome to Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. - Branch Locator

 

[abe2010]

Not sure about the Dino park. A nice miniature golf course would good for families and students.

this for sure, maybe a kids version and an adult version where alcohol is served?

 

[ribsnwhiskey]

If you actually read the article, you would learn that the city of Ames is not building a dinosaur museum. It is an out of state developer. Are they not supposed to "consider" development that is brought in front of them? There have been talks for a long time about Menards building IN THE FLOOD PLAIN!!!!!! Oh the horror! I get tired of hearing about that bs. Guess what? The entire city of Ames is in a flood plain. Why don't some of the geniuses that are always lamenting this fact come up with some alternatives instead of ******** about something that you have no investment in and will not affect you in any way? And you know what? If you don't live in Ames, just shut the **** up. You have no reason to comment on what is going on in my city.

 

[isufbcurt]

The one in Ankeny is a complete mess for customer service. Whenever I need lumber or anything outside, its a ghostown for employees.

We have had great customer service at the Ankeny one. We ordered a custom counter top for our kitchen remodel, when we picked it up, got it home and opened it, it was the ugliest thing ever seen. We were worried because when we ordered it they said no returns on custom items, but we took it back showed the guy the actual counter top and compared it to the sample we saw in the store and he agreed that it looked nothing like what we wanted to order. So he returned it without any restock fees or anytime.

 

[2forISU]

If you actually read the article, you would learn that the city of Ames is not building a dinosaur museum. It is an out of state developer. Are they not supposed to "consider" development that is brought in front of them? There have been talks for a long time about Menards building IN THE FLOOD PLAIN!!!!!! Oh the horror! I get tired of hearing about that bs. Guess what? The entire city of Ames is in a flood plain. Why don't some of the geniuses that are always lamenting this fact come up with some alternatives instead of ******** about something that you have no investment in and will not affect you in any way? And you know what? If you don't live in Ames, just shut the **** up. You have no reason to comment on what is going on in my city.

Nah

 

[Mtowncyclone13]

only ames would "consider" economic development.

because more big box stores is "development". it's just more of the same crap as everywhere else.

Ames Menards might be the death of Mtown Menards.

i hope not.

the recently built largest Menards in Iowa? I doubt it.

menards knows their market. they wouldn't propose the ames one if it would kill the mtwon one. my guess is the mtown one draws more people from tama, newton, etc and less from ames.

also, why doesn't ames make parking lots connect? dead serious here - the lack of connectivity on south duff is embarrassing. every try turning left from best buy into the pancheros lot? why didn't they force a connection? it appears this project also lacks a connection.

edit - and let me add - you know what goes into abandoned big box stores? crap. usually nothing. and you all want more big box stores. i'd hate to see ankeny in 40 years. it's going to be terrible.

 

[shadow]

The City of Ames isn't driving this deal. See quotes from the article below:

Tonight, the council will be asked to review and then authorize an application from Oppenheimer and Co. Inc. of Leawood, Kan., for provisional approval from the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s (IEDA) board for $14.7 million of state hotel/motel and sales tax revenue...

“It is highly unusual to ask the City Council to make such an important decision on the same night you are first being introduced to this program and project,†City Manager Steve Schainker wrote the council ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.
“I would like to give them a little more time,†Schainker added Monday. “The safeguard is this: it’s just a pre-application. It doesn’t bind the City Council at all.â€

For now, Schainker is recommending that the council approve the initial application but not provide city incentives for the project.

The development would be built in an area highly susceptible to flooding..​

​

 

[The_Architect]

I think the most important thing that nobody has addressed yet is will the dinosaurs have feathers or not?

 

[Rabbuk]

I think the most important thing that nobody has addressed yet is will the dinosaurs have feathers or not?

Will jesus be riding one?

 

[im4cyclones]

Dinosaur museum? Might be a better fit in Des Moines...

The city of Ames always makes me laugh. The short-list of things they want to build is a dinosaur museum and convention center, makes perfect sense.

But not a mall!!
:eyeroll: