ASBURY, Iowa — The idea of creating a city center in Asbury might be closer to coming to fruition.

The City Council recently unanimously approved the rezoning of a property, 2565 Hales Mill Road, from R-2 (two-family residential) to C-2 (general commercial). The property is located on the northwest corner of Hales Mill Road and Asbury Road.

“Planning and Zoning (Commission’s) main objective here is to get a commercial development that creates a … city center for the community,” Asbury city administrator Beth Bonz said of the rezoning.

While the plan was originally to rezone to C-1 (retail commercial), Bonz at the most recent Asbury Council meeting said C-2 is a better option because it allows for the development of drive-through food services.

The former property owner sold the land recently to developer Dale Winter, who owns Silver & Gold Exchange, which is located on the opposite side of Hales Mill Road from the rezoned property, at 5070 Asbury Road Suite A.

Winter said he is not ready to share details about his plans for the property, but said he and the city have a mutual goal of bringing a business presence to the rezoned lot.

Asbury mayor Jim Adams praised Winter’s collaboration with city officials.

“(Winter) is committed to the city and the quality of life,” Adams said.

The future development will be on the northwest corner of a roundabout connecting Asbury, Hales Mill and Radford roads, which seeks to address congestion in the area. The two-phase project includes connecting the three roads via the roundabout and eliminating their respective T-intersections along Asbury Road.

The location of the development near the roundabout project is convenient, Adams said.

“The roundabout should help with traffic especially as the area develops,” Adams said. “They should complement each other as the city grows.”

Construction on the first phase of roundabout, connecting Hales Mill and Asbury roads, is slated for 2026. Adams said he expects several phases of Winter’s development to be completed before then.

The council will discuss its capital improvement plan for 2026, which includes constructing the roundabout and road extension, at its Tuesday, Oct. 22 meeting.