CyTown Announcement - Monday 9/19 (Links in OP)

[besserheimerphat]

I just watched the press conference and I'm blown away with how the university and the city and businesses have come together on this. I have a feeling this will flourish.

I'm going save the crushed gravel, string lights and a picnic bench for my backyard.

 

[2speedy1]

BUT HOW MANY PARKING SPACES WILL BE SACRIFICED!?

If you watched the press conference it will be a net gain of 200 spaces.

 

[ZRF]

I'm curious. Did you watch this? I ask because I've never heard of the 'suites' alternative revenue, or the ties to the research park. Maybe you have numbers on those and have already spoken against them. If so, please elaborate.

I don't. I also don't doubt that those things, as a standalone, won't do what Jamie thinks they will. I'm sure there are some high dollar donors that will eat this thing up.

But look at the scope of the project, try to find parallels and comparisons, then ask yourself how viable this really is. Jamie and the presser make comparisons to KCs Power and Light district and GBs Titletown. Power and Light is next to the Sprint Center (sorry...not calling it Tmo) which hosts infinitely more large events (granted none are as large as a football game). Most years the Sprint Center hosts around 80 events. Then you have events that are specifically at Power and Light. Hot Country Nights on Thursdays in the summer. St Paddy's day party, pub crawls, and other events are there. Combine you probably have 100 large scale events occurring between the two and that doesn't count conventions and other events taking place downtown (that can draw in people conceivably). Even WITH all of that KCPL has been a failure. Titletown may be a different story but GB is also significantly larger than Ames.

You also have to consider your clientele and how such a space fits into your city. Ames is a Midwestern college town. Ames is nice and clean but it's not chic. This development remind be a lot of, but on a much larger scale, Town Center in Leawood (KC suburb). Some swanky overpriced restaurants that tend to attract the same people over and over. It does well but it's located in southern Johnson country where there is a **** ton of money...and snobby people. I live in that area but that's never been my vibe, nor that of most of my friends. This just seems so over the top and so out of place for Ames. It also lacks precedent in really having a good comparison of how it would go over.

 

[CloneSt8]

BUT HOW MANY PARKING SPACES WILL BE SACRIFICED!?

Listen to the question and answers in the conference! Jamie said that the new RV lot freed up about 1500 additional spaces and that the newer lots at Fisher and Stevens added about 300 more. The development will take away about 1600 of those but from before the RV lot and other projects until after the project is completed there will be a net gain in spaces of about 200!

 

[ZRF]

The city of Ames split the cost with the ISU AD for the initial feasibility study for this project so I don't believe this is Pollard going it alone. He's leading the project but he's working with the city. The narrative in this thread that there's pushback by Ames against this project seems unfounded for now.

Good info about the city being in on it. I just know that when the city foots the bill the developers (if allowed to) will tell the world how great of an idea it is. But they often (once built) have little to lose. It's the city that always seems to be on the hook.

Seems like this is almost a sure thing so we shall see.

 

[2speedy1]

Time shall tell, but all those you list are close to central campus. This is out there. I would not hoof it there in the winter. Maybe if a sporting event on I was going to anyway, but not otherwise. Like I said I didn't have that kind of money. I would have been searching the daily newspaper late night pizza specials and trying to find someone to split it with.

Should have thrown in some condos, etc. Permanent audience.

How far is Welch Avenue/Lincoln Way Campus town from RCA, from much of Frat Row, from Freddy Ct. Etc.
This will be closer by far to those places.

The only places this will be farther Than Campus town is those in Friley/Helser.

Those in Freddy will be able to drive and Park there, something difficult to do in Campus town.
Similarly to those in the Towers, and if you look Towers is not that much farther from this than from Campus town.

This is anyone with a car in the Greek area will be able to drive, or walk, and most of them will be as close to this than to Campus town. Some will be closer to one than the other, But like MWL will be basically be across the street.

Last I checked these students walked all over campus, distances much farther than a few blocks to this area. Hell I used to have to park at the stadium from Helser. Not that I walked it every day, but again if we wanted to go there for games, or if there was a reason to go, we would have.

 

[CloneSt8]

People seem to be forgetting a major aspect to the success of this project - the Research Park! They said they are running out of spaces now! And they are looking at the office space in CYTown to help fill those needs!

That provides a huge stable financial base! It's not all about restaurants, bars, and a place to buy a new t-shirt for tailgating on Saturday.

 

[Freebird]

We can convert it to a spirit Halloween on non football days for a month.

Prime fireworks and sweetcorn stand area too.

 

[RING4CY]

View attachment 103308
Hell yeah an outdoor video stage.

First thought that came to mind was Big 12 Tournament watches for those that can't make it to Kansas City.

 

[DeereClone]

Crushed gravel, food trucks and string lights =/= "world class biergarten"

Sounds like my town days celebration.

Population 285 and classy as hell.

 

[cygrads]

We have monthly dinners with siblings on both sides of our family and going to Cytown will be in the rotation. Earlier this month we went to Dublin Bay. Our family members live in Altoona, Johnston, Indianola, Perry and Maxwell. We go all around central Iowa for our dinners.

 

[jcisuclones]

Probably going overboard to be sure since the previous planning didn't accommodate well. See - floating basketball floor in Hilton.

You realize that most multi-purpose arenas have floors like that which you can take a part, right?

 

[besserheimerphat]

Better have more than a feeling for $200M. If a pump up presser sells you, I don't know what to say, just drink the Kool aid man. If you believe so much, why not ask Jamie to double it, triple it? Market conditions and interest rates be damned.

As for beer gardens with crushed rock, it worked in Munich, or are you saying they have bad beer gardens? Some green space a la central campus and some fantastic trees would be an amazing beer garden. I wish CF has a remind me in 10 yrs for this CyTown. $200M haha!

Where did he say it will cost $200 million?

Green space - did you see the fly through video? Trees and grass and campfire circles with seating the whole length of it.

Munich bier halls - if we run into any 500 year old breweries I guess we'll build around them.

 

[CloneJD]

Better have more than a feeling for $200M. If a pump up presser sells you, I don't know what to say, just drink the Kool aid man. If you believe so much, why not ask Jamie to double it, triple it? Market conditions and interest rates be damned.

As for beer gardens with crushed rock, it worked in Munich, or are you saying they have bad beer gardens? Some green space a la central campus and some fantastic trees would be an amazing beer garden. I wish CF has a remind me in 10 yrs for this CyTown. $200M haha!

We don’t you go ahead and log out and set an outlook reminder to check back in in 2032.

 

[ribsnwhiskey]

Better have more than a feeling for $200M. If a pump up presser sells you, I don't know what to say, just drink the Kool aid man. If you believe so much, why not ask Jamie to double it, triple it? Market conditions and interest rates be damned.

As for beer gardens with crushed rock, it worked in Munich, or are you saying they have bad beer gardens? Some green space a la central campus and some fantastic trees would be an amazing beer garden. I wish CF has a remind me in 10 yrs for this CyTown. $200M haha!

Edit: Nevermind. You have an MBA. That's where you are coming from with all this bullsh. Give it rest, nobody gives a **** about your opinion.

 

[Linusvanp3lt]

Where did he say it will cost $200 million?

Green space - did you see the fly through video? Trees and grass and campfire circles with seating the whole length of it.

Munich bier halls - if we run into any 500 year old breweries I guess we'll build around them.

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You didn't know what it cost? Then how are you arguing it's worth it?

I've seen the gardens be in public squares, as well as around stadiums.

 

[carvers4math]

I think this could draw people in the various apartments on 16th. Anything that puts less traffic on South Duff is in a win for me. Also the apartments down by the Gateway.

And I like the shiny lighted swirly Cyclone cause I like shiny things.

 

[HFCS]

I don't. I also don't doubt that those things, as a standalone, won't do what Jamie thinks they will. I'm sure there are some high dollar donors that will eat this thing up.

But look at the scope of the project, try to find parallels and comparisons, then ask yourself how viable this really is. Jamie and the presser make comparisons to KCs Power and Light district and GBs Titletown. Power and Light is next to the Sprint Center (sorry...not calling it Tmo) which hosts infinitely more large events (granted none are as large as a football game). Most years the Sprint Center hosts around 80 events. Then you have events that are specifically at Power and Light. Hot Country Nights on Thursdays in the summer. St Paddy's day party, pub crawls, and other events are there. Combine you probably have 100 large scale events occurring between the two and that doesn't count conventions and other events taking place downtown (that can draw in people conceivably). Even WITH all of that KCPL has been a failure. Titletown may be a different story but GB is also significantly larger than Ames.

You also have to consider your clientele and how such a space fits into your city. Ames is a Midwestern college town. Ames is nice and clean but it's not chic. This development remind be a lot of, but on a much larger scale, Town Center in Leawood (KC suburb). Some swanky overpriced restaurants that tend to attract the same people over and over. It does well but it's located in southern Johnson country where there is a **** ton of money...and snobby people. I live in that area but that's never been my vibe, nor that of most of my friends. This just seems so over the top and so out of place for Ames. It also lacks precedent in really having a good comparison of how it would go over.

You wouldn't watch an away game at that ampitheater area when there's a bar and restaurant next to it and hundreds or thousands of other Cyclone fans? What is "swanky" about that? Beer is swanky?

I'd have been there all the time when I was a student.

This will give Ames what a ton of college towns already have. Welch has just never cut it.

I've lived in 2nd and 3rd largest US city past 22 years and this all looks a lot more like a better version of Iowa State than it does those places.

I think it only seems over the top because Ames is so underserved for something like this.

 

[HFCS]

Where did he say it will cost $200 million?

Green space - did you see the fly through video? Trees and grass and campfire circles with seating the whole length of it.

Munich bier halls - if we run into any 500 year old breweries I guess we'll build around them.

I don't get how it isn't greener than the concrete currently there.

 

[HFCS]

How far is Welch Avenue/Lincoln Way Campus town from RCA, from much of Frat Row, from Freddy Ct. Etc.
This will be closer by far to those places.

The only places this will be farther Than Campus town is those in Friley/Helser.

Those in Freddy will be able to drive and Park there, something difficult to do in Campus town.
Similarly to those in the Towers, and if you look Towers is not that much farther from this than from Campus town.

This is anyone with a car in the Greek area will be able to drive, or walk, and most of them will be as close to this than to Campus town. Some will be closer to one than the other, But like MWL will be basically be across the street.

Last I checked these students walked all over campus, distances much farther than a few blocks to this area. Hell I used to have to park at the stadium from Helser. Not that I walked it every day, but again if we wanted to go there for games, or if there was a reason to go, we would have.

I'd have been over there all the time when I lived in MWL and when I lived Friley/Helser and rented in that area I'd have come over on away game weekends to watch the games...probably for day drinking/eating in the spring too just for spring fever.