CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- A new Menards could help fuel a renewed commercial boom in Cedar Falls, a developer says.

"We're in extraordinary economic times and to have Menards willing to invest at this time seems to say a lot about Cedar Falls," said Bob Smith, president of Lockard Companies. "We hope this will spur additional interest in the entire area."

New retail construction had chilled in recent years, coinciding with the national economic problems. But this year has shown more promise in Cedar Falls with a new Kwik Star completed off of Iowa Highway 58 and groundbreaking this month at a new Scheels store near Target. Now comes the announcement of a Menards to come in east of Walmart.

Menards plans to build a store similar to the one off of San Marnan Drive in Waterloo. The new store would be located at Brandilynn Boulevard and Prairie Parkway, just north of Viking Road.

The company had been looking at building a new store at Logan Plaza in Waterloo. It had purchased land and settled on an agreement to build back in 2007, but the project has never taken off.

Tyler Edwards, a real estate representative for Menards, declined to comment on the future of the Logan Plaza site Wednesday.

The Cedar Falls Planning and Zoning Commission took its first look at a site plan for the new store Wednesday evening in committee work. Commission members expressed support for a big-box-type home improvement store, but told the Menard's representative that they expected more from the appearance of the grounds.

"You're going to be very popular here. We don't have one of these in our city, there are three in Waterloo," said commission member Jim Miller.

While Miller welcomed the development, he went on to remark about how the city has set high standards in the area and Menards should work to add more trees and get closer to meeting the city's landscaping standards.

Most members of the commission agreed, asking for more in tree plantings and softening the look of the 14-foot wall proposed to enclose the outdoor storage area.

"We want it to look as good as we can and meet the standards of the other stores we have in the area," Brian Arntson, a commission member, said.

Edwards doesn't believe this type of store should be considered the same as a clothing or department store.

"Menards, being a big-box home improvement store, is not pretty. It's not Target. People don't walk in and think, oh, that's pretty," he said.

The full Planning and Zoning Commission will have a public hearing next week on rezoning a 3.5-acre section of the site to match the Highway-1 zoning of the rest of it. A vote is not expected, as the commission will more likely wait to vote on the rezoning and the site plan at the same time, possibly in November.