Medical facility, luxury suites and retail all part of CYTown plans at Iowa State

STACEY HORST. STEVE SCI TOWN IS IOWA STATE’S VISION TO CREATE A DESTINATION WHERE I’M STANDING BETWEEN HILTON COLISEUM AND JACK TRICE STADIUM. THAT’S JUST IN FRONT OF ME. IT STARTED WITH FORMER IAC PRESIDENT JAMES HILTON BACK IN THE 1950S, 1950S, RATHER. THIS VISIT WILL COST SOME $200 MILLION, BUT IT’S A VISION SOME STUDENTS SEE CRYSTAL CLEAR. IT’S GOING TO BE A FUN TIME. I THINK IT SOUNDS REALLY FUN AND A COOL IDEA. THE OVERWHELMING OPINION OF STUDENTS WE SPOKE WITH ON CAMPUS MONDAY AFTERNOON, THEY SAY PSI TOWN IS A POSITIVE FOR ISU. I THINK IT SHOULD BE GREAT FOR IOWA STATE IN TERMS OF JUST HAVING THAT AREA TO GO, WHETHER IT’S FOR FOOTBALL GAME OR BASKETBALL GAME OR JUST ANY TIME, I GUESS. SO TOWN WILL FEATURE A MEDICAL CLINIC, CONVENTION CENTER AND HOTEL OFFICE SPACE, RETAIL AND RESTAURANTS. A DESTINATION. A DESTINATION THAT COULD BE VERY LUCRATIVE. A DESTINATION THAT COULD EVENTUALLY PAY FOR ITSELF. WE BELIEVE WHEN FULLY BUILT OUT OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS, WILL GENERATE APPROXIMATE. $200 MILLION OF SPENDABLE REVENUE. STUDENT, AS WE MENTIONED, ARE EXCITED. TELLING US IT’S HIGH TIME WILL GIVE THEM A REASON TO SNICKER ROUND AFTER GAMES. I CAN SEE MYSELF THERE, PARTICULARLY AFTER THE GAMES, YOU KNOW, TAILGATE BEFOREHAND, BUT DEFINITELY SOMEWHERE THAT YOU CAN STOP BY AFTER THE GAME IS CLOSE RIGHT THERE IN NOVEMBER, IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY GOES BEFORE THE BOARD OF REGENTS TO GET APPROVAL TO TURN WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS TENT ROW INTO SCI TOWN. THIS IS A MONUMENTAL DAY FOR THIS INSTITUTION. ABOUT $50 MILLION GENERATED BY SIDE OF TOWN WILL GO TOWARD ADVANCING THE ARTS. AND THAT’S MAINLY SEE WHY STEVENS AND SHIPMAN AUDITORIUM LIVE IN AMES, MARCUS MCINTOSH

Iowa State University unveiled its plans on Monday for a community destination spot called CYTown.CYTown is to be located between Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum.Included in the $200 million development is a $25 million project to upgrade paving and lighting systems, and install utility infrastructure necessary for future site development.Plans must be approved by the Board of Regents. Future phases of CYTown are likely to include construction of approximately 135,000-square feet of space that is anticipated to house a medical facility, a mix of retail, office space and luxury suites.CYTown will occupy the area now known as “Tent Row” between Jack Trice Stadium and the Iowa State Center. CYTown’s initial phase also includes an outdoor public plaza and amphitheater area that can be used on game days, or for local concerts or other special events. The college said it's expected that 75% of the funds needed for the $200M project will come from land monetization opportunities with the balance coming from the leasing of 20 CYTown Suites and fundraising.Funding for the parking lot improvements and infrastructure will come from university and athletics funds, which will be repaid, over time, by project revenues. The parking lot improvements were necessary, regardless of the CYTown development, for the safety of visitors, faculty, staff and students who park there on a daily basis. “We are excited to build upon that momentum as we unveil plans for CYTown, which will be the nation’s first multi-use district built on a college campus,” Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard said in a statement. “Using the university as an anchor, the Iowa State Research Park as a catalyst, and Cyclone Athletics and Iowa State Center events as drivers, we believe CYTown will build upon Dr. Hilton’s vision and further transform the Iowa State experience and Ames community while generating resources to reinvest in the Iowa State Center.”The college said CYTown is a similar concept to other projects around the country that have been developed near sports facilities.Two recent examples are Titletown near historic Lambeau Field, home of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, and Kansas City’s Power & Light District, which is located steps from the T-Mobile Center, the annual home of the Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball championships. “Since we started this process, our goal has been to develop something unique to Ames while helping our community support, attract, and retain students, businesses, visitors and new residents, and we believe CYTown will accomplish all of that and more,” Pollard said. “A vibrant entertainment district that runs from campus through the Iowa State Center to the ISU Research Park will be a game-changer for our entire community.” The proposed CYTown development builds upon significant investment in several recently completed projects that have enhanced the gateway to the university. These projects include the:Pedestrian Bridge ($10 million) RV Village and parking upgrades for the Iowa State Center ($14 million) Stark Performance Center ($60 million) Albaugh Family Plaza and Concourse ($30 million) Sukup Endzone Club ($50 million) Reiman Gardens Plaza ($10 million)History of Iowa State Center DevelopmentFall, 1954: Iowa State President James H. Hilton proposed the construction of an educational, cultural and athletic complex during ISU’s fall faculty convocation. The first contribution was an anonymous $2 donation. 1955: A committee is formed to develop the Iowa State Center.1958: The Iowa State Foundation was formed with the primary goal of raising funds for the construction of the Iowa State Center. The state did not appropriate any funds for the Center’s construction, and after an initial anonymous donation of $2, the second donation was $1 million from C.Y. Stephens, for whom Stephens Auditorium is named. 1962: A national fundraising campaign is launched by the Iowa State Foundation.1965: Ground broken for the construction of Stephens Auditorium. June 16, 1968: Ground broken for the construction of Hilton Coliseum.1969: Stephens Auditorium is completed at a cost of $4.9 million and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra presented a five-performance week-long concert festival. The 2,747-seat auditorium was named Building of the Century by the American Institute of Architects, Iowa Chapter, in 2004.Dec. 2, 1971: Coach Maury John began his Iowa State head coaching career with a 71-54 victory over Arizona in the first athletic contest in Hilton Coliseum, which was named after former ISU President James H. Hilton, who cast the vision for the Iowa State Center.The first event in the 15,000-seat arena that was built for $8.1 million was an agriculture conference, and today, the Cyclones’ men’s basketball, women’s basketball, women’s gymnastics, volleyball and wrestling all call the 14,257-seat Hilton home.The arena has hosted the 1972 NCAA Men’s Basketball Midwest Regional, the 1972 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championship, the 1974, 1979, 1982, 1988 and 1993 NCAA Wrestling Championships, numerous conference championship events, commencements, concerts and other special events. Until Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines opened its doors in 2005, Hilton Coliseum was Central Iowa’s premier entertainment venue.Dec. 3, 1971: In its first meet at Hilton Coliseum, the No. 1-ranked Cyclone wrestling team made it memorable, trouncing Nebraska, 43-0, to register its 24th-straight dual meet victory, the first step en route to their fifth NCAA team title.Oct. 26, 1973: Ground is broken on 42,500-seat Cyclone Stadium/Jack Trice Field.1974: The 450-seat Fisher Theater, built at a cost of $950,000, opens. Fisher Theater was named for University and Iowa State Center benefactor J.W. Fisher of Marshalltown, Iowa, and is primarily used by ISU student theater and dance groups. 1975: The heart of the Iowa State Center, the $5.3 million Scheman Building, is named for ISU alumnus Carl Scheman, who provided a $1 million gift toward the Iowa State Center. Scheman hosts small and large conferences, board meetings, pre-event functions, wedding receptions and other special events. The Brunnier Art Museum, Iowa’s only accredited museum emphasizing a decorative arts collection, is also housed within the Scheman Building.Sept. 20, 1975: Iowa State christens $7.6 million Cyclone Stadium/Jack Trice Field with a 17-12 win over Air Force. The stadium, which has been expanded four times and now lists a capacity of 61,500, has also undergone multiple renovations since opening. Dec. 1, 1976: The first women’s basketball game played at Hilton Coliseum saw the Cyclones down intrastate rival Drake, 71-67.Sept. 16, 1995: Reiman Gardens, a 17-acre, year-around garden located south of Jack Trice Stadium, opens. It consists of over 20 distinct garden areas, an indoor conservatory, an indoor butterfly wing, gift shop and supporting greenhouses. Named in honor of Bobbi and Roy Reiman, the original gardens were housed on five acres before expanding multiple times to its present-day 17-acre space.Aug. 30, 1997: Cyclone Stadium renamed Jack Trice Stadium in a pregame ceremony to honor Jack Trice, Iowa State’s first Black athlete who died of injuries sustained in a 1923 football game at Minnesota. Sept. 5, 2015: The Sukup End Zone Club opens as part of a $60 million project to enclose the south end zone at Jack Trice Stadium and increase stadium capacity to 61,500, making it the Big 12 Conference’s third-largest stadium. Bobbi and Roy Reiman were the project’s lead donors with a $30 million gift, the largest in ISU history.Sept. 17, 2019: ISU President Wendy Wintersteen announced that oversight of the Iowa State Center has been transferred to the Department of Athletics and appointed athletics director Jamie Pollard to lead a process to reimagine the Iowa State Center and athletics complex as an arts, culture and community district for the future. August 2021: The $60 million Stark Performance Center opens to serve all Cyclone student-athletes.Sept. 4, 2021: The $30 million Albaugh Family Plaza opens just north of Jack Trice Stadium, and the north concourse walkway is completed.Sept. 3, 2022: A $10 million pedestrian bridge opens over University Avenue to connect the new RV Village to Jack Trice Stadium, while enhanced parking north of the ISU Center and an RV Village also come online at a cost of $14 million.Previous coverage:

AMES, Iowa —

Iowa State University unveiled its plans on Monday for a community destination spot called CYTown.

CYTown is to be located between Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum.

Included in the $200 million development is a $25 million project to upgrade paving and lighting systems, and install utility infrastructure necessary for future site development.

Plans must be approved by the Board of Regents.

Future phases of CYTown are likely to include construction of approximately 135,000-square feet of space that is anticipated to house a medical facility, a mix of retail, office space and luxury suites.

CYTown will occupy the area now known as “Tent Row” between Jack Trice Stadium and the Iowa State Center. CYTown’s initial phase also includes an outdoor public plaza and amphitheater area that can be used on game days, or for local concerts or other special events.

The college said it's expected that 75% of the funds needed for the $200M project will come from land monetization opportunities with the balance coming from the leasing of 20 CYTown Suites and fundraising.

Funding for the parking lot improvements and infrastructure will come from university and athletics funds, which will be repaid, over time, by project revenues. The parking lot improvements were necessary, regardless of the CYTown development, for the safety of visitors, faculty, staff and students who park there on a daily basis.

“We are excited to build upon that momentum as we unveil plans for CYTown, which will be the nation’s first multi-use district built on a college campus,” Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard said in a statement. “Using the university as an anchor, the Iowa State Research Park as a catalyst, and Cyclone Athletics and Iowa State Center events as drivers, we believe CYTown will build upon Dr. Hilton’s vision and further transform the Iowa State experience and Ames community while generating resources to reinvest in the Iowa State Center.”

The college said CYTown is a similar concept to other projects around the country that have been developed near sports facilities.

Two recent examples are Titletown near historic Lambeau Field, home of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, and Kansas City’s Power & Light District, which is located steps from the T-Mobile Center, the annual home of the Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball championships.

“Since we started this process, our goal has been to develop something unique to Ames while helping our community support, attract, and retain students, businesses, visitors and new residents, and we believe CYTown will accomplish all of that and more,” Pollard said. “A vibrant entertainment district that runs from campus through the Iowa State Center to the ISU Research Park will be a game-changer for our entire community.”

The proposed CYTown development builds upon significant investment in several recently completed projects that have enhanced the gateway to the university. These projects include the:

Pedestrian Bridge ($10 million)
RV Village and parking upgrades for the Iowa State Center ($14 million)
Stark Performance Center ($60 million)
Albaugh Family Plaza and Concourse ($30 million)
Sukup Endzone Club ($50 million)
Reiman Gardens Plaza ($10 million)

History of Iowa State Center Development

Fall, 1954: Iowa State President James H. Hilton proposed the construction of an educational, cultural and athletic complex during ISU’s fall faculty convocation. The first contribution was an anonymous $2 donation.

1955: A committee is formed to develop the Iowa State Center.

1958: The Iowa State Foundation was formed with the primary goal of raising funds for the construction of the Iowa State Center. The state did not appropriate any funds for the Center’s construction, and after an initial anonymous donation of $2, the second donation was $1 million from C.Y. Stephens, for whom Stephens Auditorium is named.

1962: A national fundraising campaign is launched by the Iowa State Foundation.

1965: Ground broken for the construction of Stephens Auditorium.

June 16, 1968: Ground broken for the construction of Hilton Coliseum.

1969: Stephens Auditorium is completed at a cost of $4.9 million and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra presented a five-performance week-long concert festival. The 2,747-seat auditorium was named Building of the Century by the American Institute of Architects, Iowa Chapter, in 2004.

Dec. 2, 1971: Coach Maury John began his Iowa State head coaching career with a 71-54 victory over Arizona in the first athletic contest in Hilton Coliseum, which was named after former ISU President James H. Hilton, who cast the vision for the Iowa State Center.

The first event in the 15,000-seat arena that was built for $8.1 million was an agriculture conference, and today, the Cyclones’ men’s basketball, women’s basketball, women’s gymnastics, volleyball and wrestling all call the 14,257-seat Hilton home.

The arena has hosted the 1972 NCAA Men’s Basketball Midwest Regional, the 1972 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championship, the 1974, 1979, 1982, 1988 and 1993 NCAA Wrestling Championships, numerous conference championship events, commencements, concerts and other special events.

Until Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines opened its doors in 2005, Hilton Coliseum was Central Iowa’s premier entertainment venue.

Dec. 3, 1971: In its first meet at Hilton Coliseum, the No. 1-ranked Cyclone wrestling team made it memorable, trouncing Nebraska, 43-0, to register its 24^th-straight dual meet victory, the first step en route to their fifth NCAA team title.

Oct. 26, 1973: Ground is broken on 42,500-seat Cyclone Stadium/Jack Trice Field.

1974: The 450-seat Fisher Theater, built at a cost of $950,000, opens. Fisher Theater was named for University and Iowa State Center benefactor J.W. Fisher of Marshalltown, Iowa, and is primarily used by ISU student theater and dance groups.

1975: The heart of the Iowa State Center, the $5.3 million Scheman Building, is named for ISU alumnus Carl Scheman, who provided a $1 million gift toward the Iowa State Center. Scheman hosts small and large conferences, board meetings, pre-event functions, wedding receptions and other special events.

The Brunnier Art Museum, Iowa’s only accredited museum emphasizing a decorative arts collection, is also housed within the Scheman Building.

Sept. 20, 1975: Iowa State christens $7.6 million Cyclone Stadium/Jack Trice Field with a 17-12 win over Air Force. The stadium, which has been expanded four times and now lists a capacity of 61,500, has also undergone multiple renovations since opening.

Dec. 1, 1976: The first women’s basketball game played at Hilton Coliseum saw the Cyclones down intrastate rival Drake, 71-67.

Sept. 16, 1995: Reiman Gardens, a 17-acre, year-around garden located south of Jack Trice Stadium, opens. It consists of over 20 distinct garden areas, an indoor conservatory, an indoor butterfly wing, gift shop and supporting greenhouses. Named in honor of Bobbi and Roy Reiman, the original gardens were housed on five acres before expanding multiple times to its present-day 17-acre space.

Aug. 30, 1997: Cyclone Stadium renamed Jack Trice Stadium in a pregame ceremony to honor Jack Trice, Iowa State’s first Black athlete who died of injuries sustained in a 1923 football game at Minnesota.

Sept. 5, 2015: The Sukup End Zone Club opens as part of a $60 million project to enclose the south end zone at Jack Trice Stadium and increase stadium capacity to 61,500, making it the Big 12 Conference’s third-largest stadium. Bobbi and Roy Reiman were the project’s lead donors with a $30 million gift, the largest in ISU history.

Sept. 17, 2019: ISU President Wendy Wintersteen announced that oversight of the Iowa State Center has been transferred to the Department of Athletics and appointed athletics director Jamie Pollard to lead a process to reimagine the Iowa State Center and athletics complex as an arts, culture and community district for the future.

August 2021: The $60 million Stark Performance Center opens to serve all Cyclone student-athletes.

Sept. 4, 2021: The $30 million Albaugh Family Plaza opens just north of Jack Trice Stadium, and the north concourse walkway is completed.

Sept. 3, 2022: A $10 million pedestrian bridge opens over University Avenue to connect the new RV Village to Jack Trice Stadium, while enhanced parking north of the ISU Center and an RV Village also come online at a cost of $14 million.

Previous coverage:

Medical facility, luxury suites and retail all part of CYTown plans at Iowa State

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