Having visited Ames many times as a child (mostly for football games) along with living here the past 5 years (undergrad and graduate school) it is hard not to notice the decline of the mall. So now with redevelopment finally occuring at NG Mall, TJ Maxx and Kohls are both being added to the area just south of the mall and it appears they are completely going to redo the parking, landscaping, signage, add more retail, etc for areas from the old Sears building and to the south. Does anyone know of any other businesses that are looking to come to the mall with the new retail and restaurant space that will be built or if the north part of the property is also going to be redeveloped as well? What else would people like to see go in there?
North Grand Mall
- Thread starter cyclone87
- Start date
- Mar 27, 2006
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Frankly, it's embarrassing, as is the entire North Grand shopping area. I try not to ever go there if I can help it. Ames completely missed the boat when they railed against the new mall development a few years ago. I hope those opponents are proud of what they fought so hard to retain.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
At this point it's a lost cause. I'm still going to go down to Jordan Creek more than I step foot in North Grand Mall and my girlfriend lives less than a mile away from it.
In its current capacity it is definitely embarrassing, although I can imagine it would only be worse if that huge mall would have been built out by the interstate. Anyway hopefully the redevelopment and adding kohl's will start things on an upward trend for that area, I see they renovated the old walmart up there as well now.
If they had a nice big mall they could have just torn NGM down for all it mattered.
The mall is struggling and is a victim of their own horrible decisions. They are very lucky that the town center didn't get approved that was to be built east of the interstate on 13th (still can't believe that got shot down).
My wife and I have discussed multiple times we find it hard to believe that a town with a college the size of ISU doesn't have an Old Navy in it.
The mall and the city of Ames have made terrible decisions in the past and have drove business away. It appears that they are both realizing that you need to grow to keep people from driving to Ankeny or DSM to go shopping.
The additions still won't change anything for us. We live south of Ames and even though Ames is closer it is faster for us to get to the stores in Ankeny just due to the mall being in north Ames. The mall is still in a horrible location for a lot of people but with the growth in north Ames and that it is pretty easy to get to from campus it should end up working out for them. Hopefully they don't get stupid and decide to start kicking stores out again.
When my wife and I moved to Ames 10 years ago and lived by the mall it was a decent small thriving mall. Amazing how far it has tumbled during that time. I hope someday it get's to a point where it would draw us back up there for clothes, etc. for the kids as I would rather spend money in Ames than Ankeny.
Why should it be any different then South Duff, Lincoln Way, Downtown or Campus Town.:no:
NGM is a disgrace right now. They have a LONG ways to go to rebuild a respectable business that I would patronize. Just embarrassing right now. I hope they can turn it around but letting the place lie in ruin will not bring in more stores or shoppers.
I used to work int he mall office, probably... crap, 12 years ago, as an intern. Even then, leasing stores was a lot of work. They've got a big market down at Jordan Creek to compete with, and internet shopping is enormous these days.
I think people might be surprised at what stores might consider opening up there now that they're spending the money to redevelop it, its really not a bad location (considering the development and planned development in north ames and its proximity to the University). In all honesty its really not that surprising the property is in that bad of shape as I think it was originally developed back in the 70s (although I could be wrong)?
Last edited:
- Mar 27, 2006
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This. A big mall on 13th street would eliminate the need for a crappy mall on Grand with its terrible location that is convenient for about 1/4 of the city.
I don't even understand how some stores in the mall stay open. Strawberry Patch has a TON of merchandise, but it's all dirt cheap and there's never anyone in there. The Sports Page is a huge ripoff for everything. Aeropostale finally folded up shop.
Exactly. It would be easy for almost everyone in Ames to get to let alone how easy it would be for surrounding towns and counties. The city screwed up big time letting that one get away. People who come into town for games don't go to the NG Mall, but they would have stopped at a facility like that if the stores that were rumored coming would have been there.
Does anyone know if it was going to be an outdoor mall? For some reason I keep thinking it was supposed to be like a Jordan Creek Town Center. All the stores connected but they opened up to sidewalks outside instead of inside a mall. I could be wrong though.
Hah, I had a job there in college setting up all the events and putting tables/chairs out. But I am way older than you.