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Campustown Redevelopment

farminclone said:
Welch Ave Should be a ped-mall type area from the clock tower to Lincoln Way.

Have the bars, restaurants, or other buildings seen some improvement too? It looks nicer from Lincoln Way, and definitely has a bigger city feel now, but if the other buildings on Welch are still holes, it doesn't really change much for the students.
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I'm pretty sure they are still holes. The only bar that has somewhat tried to buck the trend is the District bar, but it's still in the old Capone's building so it still really isn't too nice.

Anyone still on campus and frequents the area that could fill in some blanks?
 
canker2323 said:
That doesn't mean it is not safe. Businesses will put their waste/trash in the trash cans. Same thing is done in downtown/business districts all over the country.

There should be more higher floor count/high density building near campuses. More efficient use of land.
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I would argue that it isn't safe..... I don't know how many times i've pulled out of there and been startled by a pedestrian suddenly pop out from behind that corner...... When walking to class as a pedestrian I would always poke my head around the corner to look for an exiting vehicle. If a student/visitor didn't have any prior experience with that entrance or exit or a driver was being careless someone could very easily get hit there. I'd bee surprised if there has never been an incident there before.

As for the access to waste removal, most blocks have an alley running behind them, this area would presumably transformed from an alley to a green space, and I assume they will cut off/limit vehicle access. The articles also state how the areas are nothing more then an unsightly area for dumpsters..... so my assumption is that they are going to try and eliminate the dumpsters.... because if they don't it will be a nice green space with a bunch of dumpsters surrounding it.
 
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Haverhill said:
Does anyone know where this proposed tower is located? www.sbaarchitecture.com/multi-family.aspx?project=E+Towers%7cAmes%2c+IA

attachment.php


(Opinion: I hope this rendering goes back to the drawing board a bit)
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I think that is a dead proposal. And it is terribly ugly!
 
This thread makes me miss Ames. A lot. It just feels like home whenever I go back to visit, which isn't often enough.
 
Are they still not done with the MU fountain? It was off most of my 4 years due to being refurbished. It can't take that long can it?
 
The one big thing, at least to me, that I don't like with this development is that the buildings are really close to the street and their height blocks much of the sunlight. In the winter the sidewalks can be "fun." I just wish there was more setback for all these buildings along Lincolnway.
 
Ms3r4ISU said:
The one big thing, at least to me, that I don't like with this development is that the buildings are really close to the street and their height blocks much of the sunlight. In the winter the sidewalks can be "fun." I just wish there was more setback for all these buildings along Lincolnway.
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They are packing a lot into that block. Probably not enough room for that, plus they are going for an urban streetfront with these buildings, which means 0ft setbacks.
 
Haverhill said:
They are packing a lot into that block. Probably not enough room for that, plus they are going for an urban streetfront with these buildings, which means 0ft setbacks.
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I think about that, along with the current planning on the entire Lincolnway corridor. Lots of people walking close to this busy street, including parking along said busy street. What could possibly go wrong?
 
Heard that Arcadia/Swift Stop/Chinese Homestyle Cooking at Lincoln Way and Sheldon is being bought out for another Mixed-Use development. Man, I hope CHC stays open somewhere in Ames. I go back there every time I'm visiting home.
 
Ms3r4ISU said:
I think about that, along with the current planning on the entire Lincolnway corridor. Lots of people walking close to this busy street, including parking along said busy street. What could possibly go wrong?
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Yeah, this is the dilemma in every urban area. At the end of the day, there is highly coveted real estate near a booming university so they have to cram things together. Density is generally a good thing though, so I'm happy with these developments. I don't want to hamper progress because land owners can't apply ice melt to a sidewalk in a timely manner.
 
I am a design professional and can speak my mind; I think the new developments in Campustown look pretty darn good.
 
Ms3r4ISU said:
I think about that, along with the current planning on the entire Lincolnway corridor. Lots of people walking close to this busy street, including parking along said busy street. What could possibly go wrong?
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Nothing so far.
 
JSmoove said:
I'm pretty sure they are still holes. The only bar that has somewhat tried to buck the trend is the District bar, but it's still in the old Capone's building so it still really isn't too nice.

Anyone still on campus and frequents the area that could fill in some blanks?
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This is mostly correct. The district is much nicer than any of the other bars in campustown but still not exactly high-end. There is also a new bar directly to the south of Paddies/Sips in the basement called "One Night Stand", which is where Score used to be and a bunch of other bars before that. It's a country rock bar and from my experience there is usually a good amount of people in there. The owners cleaned up the place quite a bit and it is far less dumpy than all of the bars other than The District. They have some cool memorabilia in there.

Ames has changed a lot in the past 3-4 years. It looks completely different driving down Lincoln Way. As someone mentioned earlier in the thread, they need to turn Welch into a pedmall. It is dangerous to drive on Welch from Lincoln Way to the clock tower by Kum & Go on the weekends, there are always so many people walking and spilling over into the street from the bars.

You can't see it from the pictures posted on this thread but there is another huge apartment complex going in behind University Towers and the new Apartment complex "23 21", which is pictured on the left in the original post, kiddy corner from the MU.
 
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They will probably have trouble turning that block into a pedmall type of area with the Fire Station on the corner of chamberlain and Welch. Didn't think about that.
 
Haverhill said:
Yeah, this is the dilemma in every urban area. At the end of the day, there is highly coveted real estate near a booming university so they have to cram things together. Density is generally a good thing though, so I'm happy with these developments. I don't want to hamper progress because land owners can't apply ice melt to a sidewalk in a timely manner.
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Bingo. This is the type of area that needs to see high density.

My immediate thoughts go to the apartments that were built out in west Ames with retail on the bottom. The slew of buildings by perfect games and the basketball practice facility. I heard those were over developed and largely sat empty even before all this development started in Campustown. How are these buildings fairing now?
 
Gunnerclone said:
ISU/Ames is just going to keep exploding. I think we'll be at 40,000 enrollment in 5-10 years. More students, more money, better Campustown.
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I hope so, but Only if the legislature gets in line with the BOR and has the money go with the students, particularly in-state students. Granted this requires HS level intelligence, a bit of common sense and small amount of courage to stop subsidizing suburban chicagoites getting poly sci and sociology degrees at UI. Don't hold your breath.
 
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