The development of a mixed-use business park in Gilbert is moving forward with two lots being sold and others available for future growth in the town north of Ames.

The project comes against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, which is making developers more cautious about pursuing a project, said Luke Jensen, the local real estate developer behind the Gilbert project.

Jensen, managing director of RES Development, announced the development of the 10 acres north of the city’s high school in March 2024. Since then, all the infrastructure has been installed and a road has been built.

One of the lots has been sold to Pudenz Family Chiropractic. They are in the design phase with construction hopefully beginning in the fall, Jensen said.

Alex Pudenz, who will run the Gilbert clinic with his dad, Bruce, who runs a chiropractic clinic in Gowrie, southwest of Fort Dodge, said they hope to operate a full wellness center in Gilbert with a full array of chiropractic services, a nurse practitioner and massage therapist.

The business will operate under the name Steel Health and Wellness.

A second phase could include a gym and fitness center, he said.

Pudenz, 23, will graduate from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport in October, around the same time construction is planned to start on the Gilbert clinic. While it’s under construction he will either work for his dad at the Gowrie clinic or maybe join another practice to broaden his experience, he said.

Pudenz said his dad is one of 11 children in his family, five of whom are chiropractors. Most practice in small towns, which is why he thinks Gilbert will be a good fit for a new clinic.

“I think growing up in a small town it means more to be part of your community, to be integrated into that,” said Pudenz, who grew up in Callender, a town of about 300 southwest of Fort Dodge. “I think it’s more personal and it can make a difference.”

Another lot has been sold to Jake Hanson, the owner and CFO of Prairieland Homes, for a flex- space retail building.

Hanson said his vision for the five-bay center is to have a coffee shop with a drive-thru on one end, a restaurant with outdoor patio on the other end, a nail salon in another space, and other retail or service in the other spaces.

He said Prairieland Homes, based in Ames, has built homes, townhomes and apartments in Gilbert, “so we just have a lot of ties to that area.”

Hanson, who also is a partner in some commercial buildings in Ames’ Somerset neighborhood, said his family lives in Gilbert and he knows a lot of people in the community who have children that attend school there.

“We know that we’re missing some of the amenities and businesses that our neighbors and other families would use,” he said.

It being a small town, the businesses he hopes to bring in and other development in the business park would help keep Gilbert residents in town and generate additional sales tax revenue for the city to reinvest into other amenities, Hanson said.

“We have a strong small-town feel, but there’s nothing that doesn’t require a car to get to, so I think that’s what Gilbert is really missing,” Hanson said.

Being able to provide amenities that residents can walk or bike to will help strengthen Gilbert’s small-town culture, he said.

“All of our schools are right there in this little town of Gilbert, so when all these families come into Gilbert we don’t have these amenities to provide,” Hanson said. “It would be nice to have everything around those schools so you can walk to and from those schools. If you’re there for an event, you’d be able to stop in and grab ice cream or something. Just being able to provide all those families with something in town.”

Gilbert, which is about 8 miles north of Ames, has more than 1,300 residents. It has been experiencing about 2% growth a year and is up nearly 9% since the 2000 census.

“As the city of Gilbert is growing, so are the community’s expectations for different types of services, so having land that’s ready to meet those needs is critical,” said Jensen, a Gilbert native who has children attending school in the district.

Jensen purchased the property for about $300,000 and began talks with the city of Gilbert in 2022 about the concept of the development.

In addition to a third lot that is ready for development, there is a 4-acre parcel that is platted and available for a larger user, he said.

Jensen said he is watching the business climate to see where other opportunities may exist for further developing the business park, and whether he will continue to sell parcels to other developers or develop some of the land himself.

“We are engaged in our own concepts, so we’re on standby, if, when and what the opportunity is,” he said. “We’re having casual conversations and there is a fair amount of uncertainty in the economic outlook. Taxes, tariffs and trade wars are kind of the themes that keep coming back. So people that we are visiting with are craving certainty in that world to decide if they can move forward with doing a project.”

Jensen said there is increased caution before committing to a project.

“I think developers are thinking through those things and trying to decide what’s best and when, and if you don’t have to do something, maybe it’s OK to slow it down a bit,” he said.

This version corrects the spelling of Jake Hanson’s last name.