Wallabys?

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ribsnwhiskey

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I really like the Somerset area, but Ames has really bit off more than it can chew development-wise. A lot of college towns only have Downtown and their Campustown equivalent, but Ames has Downtown, Campustown, North Grand, Somerset, and West Ames. Ames needs more jobs, housing and residents to sustain it.

You don't really know much about Ames, do you?
 

cyclone87

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I really like the Somerset area, but Ames has really bit off more than it can chew development-wise. A lot of college towns only have Downtown and their Campustown equivalent, but Ames has Downtown, Campustown, North Grand, Somerset, and West Ames. Ames needs more jobs, housing and residents to sustain it.

Good thing is more of those things are on the way.
 

Haverhill

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Good thing is more of those things are on the way.

Ames would be great if it had between 70-80k residents. Given the amount of people who work in Ames and live in Ankeny, its not impossible to get some of that workforce back to living in town.
 

cyclone87

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Ames would be great if it had between 70-80k residents. Given the amount of people who work in Ames and live in Ankeny, its not impossible to get some of that workforce back to living in town.

Research park to double in size and add another 3,000 workers (estimate from Leath), Webfilings adding another 700 workers (avg salary 50k to 80k), east industrial park planned (east of 35)with rail access, 500 acres (or so) to be annexed north of town and west of Ada Hayden (should be nice housing developments and may encourage more people to live in Ames instead of just working here). Have to wait and see if it all works out.
 

SoapyCy

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It would be nice if there was some design standards in the town instead of more cul de sacs and ugly apartments.

/rant
 

Haverhill

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Research park to double in size and add another 3,000 workers (estimate from Leath), Webfilings adding another 700 workers (avg salary 50k to 80k), east industrial park planned (east of 35)with rail access, 500 acres (or so) to be annexed north of town and west of Ada Hayden (should be nice housing developments and may encourage more people to live in Ames instead of just working here). Have to wait and see if it all works out.

I really hope that can all be positive growth for AMES... not Ankeny.
 

cyclone87

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It would be nice if there was some design standards in the town instead of more cul de sacs and ugly apartments.

/rant

IMO the design in Somerset is generally good. I hope the new developments will be planned out well too. The problem is people want to live on cul de sacs.
 

IcSyU

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IMO the design in Somerset is generally good. I hope the new developments will be planned out well too. The problem is people want to live on cul de sacs.
The layout of roads in Somerset is infuriating. Somerset is one of the few places I've ever seen where people have sidewalks in their back yards.
 

ribsnwhiskey

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There are also plans for a new retirement/assisted living facility and a baptist church in the remaining cornfield farthest north and west in somerset. It's pretty much going to be full within a couple more years.

The city is almost maxed out when it comes to space for new development at this point.
 

alarson

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There are also plans for a new retirement/assisted living facility and a baptist church in the remaining cornfield farthest north and west in somerset. It's pretty much going to be full within a couple more years.

The city is almost maxed out when it comes to space for new development at this point.

Which is almost ok as there are areas that would be good for redevelopment, such as west lincoln way as discussed in this thread.
 

JP4CY

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I thought that the city was trying to push growth to the SW part of town.
 

cyclone87

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I thought that the city was trying to push growth to the SW part of town.

It was a while back, now north is the targeted area. I would guess there will be more to the southwest though too with the research park expansion and employees wanting to live nearby.
 
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ISU4ME

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Never been a big fan of Wallabys. A local version of Applebees or Fridays but the food is even more average.