Ames wins state award for park project

The Vision Iowa Board gave the City of Ames a one-and-a-half million dollar award this morning for a project to develop an old quarry. Ames City Manager Steve Schainker says the city has an option to purchase the area on the north edge of Ames commonly known as “Hallett’s Quarry”Schainker says it is an area of over 400 acres with 130 acres of water that’ll be developed into a recreation areas with bike and walking trails. Schainker says the whole project is contingent on Ames voters approving a four-point-nine million dollar bond issue. Schainker says the issue will go to the voters later this fall. The city council will be asked to hold the bond vote during the general election in November. Schainker says Story County will kick in one million dollars of in-kind labor if the project goes ahead. Schainker says if everything falls into place, they could begin construction by this spring.