More than half a billion dollars in new capital investments were brought into the region in 2025 by the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, according to a new report.
The total was reported to be $581 million in new capital investments and $33 million in outside funding.
Ames City Council is expected to vote on renewing its contract with the Alliance in June. Council members asked for a closer look at the contract before renewing it for the 2026–27 fiscal year and heard a report on Tuesday.
Local major construction projects
Several large projects started construction in Ames in 2025.
BioMADE: One of the largest was a $40 million biomanufacturing facility for BioMADE. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds joined Iowa State University leaders to break ground on Nov. 14 at the BioCentury Research Farm.
Danfoss: Danfoss Power Solutions broke ground on a new childcare facility that will serve up to 160 students. The company is working with Everbrook Academy on the project. The center will be available to children of Danfoss employees and workers at other nearby companies.
JT Logistics: The family-owned Iowa company JT Logistics began work on a new 300,000-square-foot warehouse east of Ames. The facility is expected to create new jobs in Story County and expand the company’s operations across the Midwest.
Daisy Brand: One of the largest projects of the year was the Daisy Brand dairy processing plant in nearby Boone. The facility will cost $1.2 billion and cover one million square feet, making it one of the biggest construction projects in central Iowa history.
New retail stores, restaurants in town
Furniture Mart: A 90,000-square-foot Furniture Mart opened in winter 2025 on SE 5th Street between Target and Walmart. The city helped support the project with a tax break because Ames had been losing furniture shoppers to other cities.
Olive Garden: The Italian restaurant chain Olive Garden announced plans in March 2025 and is expected to open June 1.
Other notable projects: A Chipotle and a second Kwik Star are under construction in west Ames. Some housing and mixed-use developments include The Bluffs and Dakota Townes near the ISU Research Park and the 12-unit affordable housing project Harrison Court.
Beyond Ames: The work of the Alliance was not limited to the immediate area. In July 2025, it formed a new partnership with the Greene County Development Corporation to share resources and attract investment across county lines. The goal is to strengthen the entire central Iowa region, not just one city.
Alliance leaders also traveled to trade shows in San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Chicago to market the Ames area to companies that might want to relocate or expand here. The team made 73 visits to existing businesses in the area as part of its retention and expansion program.
Downtown Ames secures a $500,000 grant
A guiding vision document for the future of downtown was published by Downtown Ames. The Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market drew between 8,000 and 10,000 visitors on peak weekends after it expanded for the 2026 season.
The city received a $500,000 federal planning grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to design a new transit hub in downtown Ames. The project is called the multi-modal downtown transit hub and is meant to make it easier and safer for people to get around downtown using different types of transportation.
In May 2025, the Alliance launched a new online platform called Live Work Play in Ames to help people learn what it is like to live in the area. The site targets newcomers, job seekers and visitors. Its Facebook page drew more than 227,000 views between May 2025 and May 2026.
In other business
- Airport runway project: The Ames James Herman Banning Municipal Airport’s main runway will undergo a $27 million reconstruction project beginning in late 2026 and will be closed April through October 2027. The project includes new pavement, lighting, drainage and taxiway upgrades.
- Funding increases: The council voted to increase financial support for local organizations by more than $40,500 in the coming fiscal year. The money, totaling $365,000, will be spread across programs that help residents with housing, youth sports and more. They include: Ames Main Street ($63,500), the Hunziker Youth Sports Complex ($100,000), the Ames Historical Society ($63,000), Ames International Partner Cities ($11,000) the Ames Foundation ($14,000) and the American Legion Riders ($4,500).
- Losing waste partners: Roland and McCallsburg want out of their solid waste agreements by June 30. They will switch to a Marshall County landfill.
- Next time: The council will meet in regular session at 6 p.m. June 9 at Ames City Hall.
