Downtown Cultural Events Center

Ames, Iowa

In the beginning stages of development, the Cultural Events Center is a design concept that responds to last year’s Downtown Charrette sponsored by the City of Ames. A local business group, the Main Street Cultural Center Business Improvement Committee, proposed the idea of a catalyst project located on Main Street to encourage redevelopment. The Cultural Events Center is a project based on the program described for the catalyst project, as envisioned by developers, Scott Griffen and Gordie Meyer. As a programmatically diverse project the new facility will house retail spaces, a 300 seat convention hall, corporate offices, a signature theater and residential lofts on the top floor. The projected facility is sensitive to the exterior plaza, the current need for additional parking and the traditional character of Main Street all while remaining innovative and attractive to the community.

Tthree divergent schemes were presented during a public showing called the Art Walk on June 2 of this year in order to solicit public input from members of City staff, business owners and Main Street shoppers. Each scheme responded to the same points of criteria outlined by the Business Improvement Committee. The initial intent was to gain support for the catalyst project without focusing on a single design concept. The developers are currently in process of identifying final schemes with which to proceed.