Ames Plans Grand Ave. Intersection Expansion
The city is moving to acquire properties, including a church and a duplex, to widen the Grand Avenue and 13th Street intersection.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Home Renovation
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The Ames City Council set a public hearing for Dec. 8 to consider authorizing eminent domain for the Grand Avenue and 13th Street expansion. The city previously purchased a duplex at 1302 Harding Ave. in early November, and negotiations with Ames Seventh Day Adventist Church are ongoing.
Why it matters
The intersection lacks dedicated turn lanes, which causes significant delays for drivers on Grand Avenue. The project would bring four left-turn lanes and a new traffic signal to the intersection for residents of Ames.
The city has spent $593,600 to secure one permanent and 15 temporary easements, with five still outstanding. The planned streets would widen to three lanes in all directions, and the outcome of negotiations with the church remains unresolved.
The players
City of Ames
The City of Ames is the municipal government of the college city in central Iowa that is overseeing the expansion project.
Ames Seventh Day Adventist Church
Ames Seventh Day Adventist Church is a local congregation at 1303 Grand Ave. whose property is required for the intersection expansion.
The details
The expansion requires buying and demolishing Ames Seventh Day Adventist Church at 1303 Grand Ave. and a residential duplex at 1302 Harding Ave. The city plans to acquire properties voluntarily first and may invoke eminent domain only if it cannot obtain the remaining properties that way, with a new traffic signal and a shared-use path on the west side of Grand Avenue included in the project.
Timeline
Early November 2026: The city purchased the duplex at 1302 Harding Ave.
Nov. 10, 2026: The council set a public hearing date on eminent domain.
Nov. 11, 2026: The Public Works Director discussed voluntary acquisition at a council meeting.
Dec. 8, 2026: A public hearing on authorizing eminent domain is scheduled.
2028: Construction is expected to begin.
Legal Framework
The city is working within the Fifth Amendment's Takings Clause, which permits government acquisition of private property for public use only with just compensation. Its voluntary-first approach before any eminent domain vote mirrors the process that governs most public road projects of this kind.
Drivers on Grand Avenue can expect the intersection to gain four left-turn lanes and a new signal once construction begins in 2028. Residents of the properties being acquired will be affected by the city's voluntary acquisition process and any eminent domain proceedings that follow.
The takeaway
Property acquisition for public road projects often moves through voluntary negotiation before eminent domain, so residents near planned corridors should watch council agendas for hearing notices.
What happens next
The Ames City Council will hold a public hearing on authorizing eminent domain on Dec. 8, 2026.
Further reading
For related local projects, see Home Renovation coverage in Ames.
Source note: This article includes information reported by USA TODAY.
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