Ames City Council to reconsider controversial downtown demolition project vote

The City of Ames is reconsidering its plan to demolish several 25-year-old public art monuments in the downtown district.

The city council during a June meeting chose to remove 16 brick pillars at various intersections with 5th Street, from Duff Avenue to Pearl Avenue. The decision ignited controversy, with several community members voicing displeasure.

Ames resident Valerie Stallbaummer said she represented the voice of many community members during Tuesday night's meeting in the Ames City Hall.

"I’m one of many people who were surprised to hear these were planning to be eliminated," Stallbaummer said. "I talked to quite a few people, and nobody saw a reason to eliminate them; everybody had some reason to want them to stay."

More: Ames says Main Street doesn't want pillars anymore, but leaders dispute removal

Where did the pillars come from?

Fifteen four-foot tall pillars were constructed in 1999, while the final structure was produced in 2001. Each is topped with an engraved stone displaying the intersecting street names.

The project was born out of the city of Ames's downtown district development plan in the 1990s. The structures were financed through grants from the Iowa Community Cultural Grant and the Iowa Department of Affairs. The city isn't certain of an exact cost but believes it exceeded $20,000.

Stallbaummer pleaded for the monuments' historical value Tuesday.

"The plaques on two sides of these pillars represent some of the earliest history of Ames," Stallbaummer said. "This information is not readily seen anywhere else in (the city)."

Council considers alternative options

The city originally said demolition was reasonable because the monuments were each in disintegrating condition while their proximity to buildings was also an issue.

Stallbaummer said she spoke with a representative from MB Masonry LLC in Des Moines, who felt the pillars were in good condition and only needed simple repair work.

"He said they looked like they were very expensive when they were made just because of the quality of the bricks," Stallbaummer said. "He thought it was a very unique design, and he didn’t see anything that looked like they were falling apart. "Very little mortar was missing, and the major thing was the bases needed to be sealed better."

The city initially approved the demolition of the pillars for $16,000.

Stallbaummer's MB Masonry representative estimated a $5,600 job to clean and repair the mortar on the pillars.

Stallbaumer even offered the city $2,000 to help restore the pillars with an additional $200 donation from other residents. She calculated that the city would only need to cover $3,400 of the repairs.

Stallbaummer also said MB Masonry would be willing to move the pillars, if necessary.

More: Artist says Ames didn't reach out before deciding to demolish public art on 5th Street

Council tables discussion, hints at another vote

The council agreed to revisit the pillars at a future meeting. Ward 2 City Councilman Tim Gartin felt it was important to reexamine the issue given the amount of feedback.

"This is a major landscape feature, and I think we have to have a pretty strong dose of humility when we do things as a council," Gartin said. "I thought this was the right thing going forward, I am surprised at the level of feedback we’ve received."

City Councilwoman Amber Corrieri cast the only dissenting vote Tuesday evening. Corrieri felt city volunteers had already spent a significant amount of time preparing for the demolition and wasn't sure if the council would change its mind.

"Public Arts Commission spends time contemplating and making a recommendation to us with staff support," Corrieri said. "I have a hard time revisiting that, especially if we don’t have a real intention of doing anything about it."

Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Brick pillar demolition will be reconsidered by Ames City Council