Council Wants More Information on Campustown Development

The Ames City Council said Tuesday that it needs more information before deciding whether to modify Campustown zoning requirements for buildings taller than 30 feet.

Kingland Systems is asking the city to change a zoning requirement set in 2005 that requires a building's facade to “step-back” 15 feet from the right-of-way if it's higher than 30 feet.

The Clear Lake software company purchased nine Campustown buildings within the 2400 block of Lincoln Way near the end of 2012 and said it planned to replace the buildings with a three-story office and retail structure, according to a staff report written for the Ames City Council.

The Council said they were open to removing the setback, but want more details from the architects before making any decisions after Ryan Jeffrey, Campustown Action Association President and an owner of Arcadia Coffee, said they were excited about expansion but wanted to see a more concrete plan before any decision is made. The council also agreed to take feedback from the Campustown group and the Historic Preservation Commission.

In a letter to the city, Kingland's CFO Todd Rognes said they hoped to construct a new three-story building on the 2400 block of Lincoln Way that would provide workspace for as many as 400 people and 14,000 square feet of retail space. However the setback requirement would increase construction by about 25 percent, Ron Fiscus, a representative of the company said during the meeting Tuesday.

Kingland Systems hopes to find other alternatives to the “step-back” that would allow them to build a taller building that fit in with the design of the neighborhood, Fiscus, of PlanScape Partners said.

Kingland Systems hopes to begin construction this summer. The letter to council said the company has no intention of including residential uses. But Warren Madden, Iowa State University's Senior Vice President, who supports Kingland Systems request, said the university would be interested in seeing some student housing in the area as well.

Sharon Wirth, of the Ames Historic Preservation Commission, said some of the buildings were historic structures and would like to be involved in the redevelopment.

The affected buildings include the businesses along the 2400 block of Lincoln Way and the north half blocks of Welch and Stanton Avenues. The affected area includes the former theater, currently occupied by Kingland Systems and Charlie Yoke's at the corner of Welch Avenue and Lincoln Way that was built about 1907.

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Kingland Systems Would Rebuild Half Block of Campustown

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