Iowa State University athletic director Jamie Pollard has unveiled a master plan for CyTown, a 94-acre mixed-use development located between Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum. The project is set to open in fall 2027.
Originally announced in 2022, CyTown will serve as an entertainment and activity hub year-round, with a special focus on football game days. The estimated construction cost is between $175 million and $225 million, with Goldenrod Companies of Omaha, Nebraska, serving as the master developer and securing financing. Iowa State University will not assume any debt for the project.
The development’s anchor tenant will be the McFarland Clinic medical facility. Additional features include a seven-story, 200-room Marriott hotel named The Cardinal, which will be connected to Hilton Coliseum via a skywalk, 70,000 square feet of retail space, 90,000 square feet of office space, a 3,000-seat amphitheater, and various restaurants.
Groundbreaking for the McFarland Clinic is scheduled for this spring, with the bulk of construction planned for 2026.
Pollard noted that the site had become outdated and presented maintenance challenges over the years. The vision for an educational, cultural, and athletic complex in the area was first proposed in 1954 by former ISU president James Hilton.
“This is a significant moment for Iowa State,” Pollard stated in a video announcement. “This will be a major attraction not just for the university, but for the city of Ames and central Iowa. It revives an innovative concept introduced by James Hilton in the 1950s and brings it back to life.”
CyTown is expected to be comparable to Titletown near Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers, and the Power & Light District near the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
Image courtesy of Iowa State
