By Nicarlyle Hanchard / The Jambar
Students at Youngstown State University must find new areas to gather, as the center of student life on campus is currently under construction.
Phase One of renovations for the updated Kilcawley Center began May 5. The project is split into three phases to facilitate continued use of the building, with completion slated for September 2027. Phase One will conclude May 2026.
Tex Fischer, Ohio state representative and member of the Lake to River Caucus, among other members of the caucus visited the site Aug. 22. He said the state’s support of YSU will have positive effects in the Mahoning Valley.
“YSU is a great asset for not just Youngstown [or] Mahoning County, but the entire region,” Fischer said. “Prioritising projects like the Kilcawley renovation [and] generally supporting what YSU does is going to have a lot of great ripple effects throughout the community and our economy.”
Fischer said, as the “premier university” in the Lake to River region, which covers Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties, YSU will be critical to solving changing economic and workforce issues.
The Lake to River Caucus, a bipartisan economic development group in the Ohio Legislature, focuses on finding collaborative ways to create sustainable economic growth.
The state donated $13 million in capital funds to the Kilcawley: Centered on the Future Campaign at the start of the year.
Several other donations were made over the summer. These include a $5 million donation from the Youngstown Foundation, $3 million from the Cafaro Family and $1 million from AVI Foodsystems and the Payiavlas Family.
Scott Schulick, campaign chair, said he is grateful for the donations made and the reception the campaign has received from the community.
“[These donations are] a good sign and motivator for additional donors to see there are very serious individuals and foundations who believe in this campaign, and hopefully cause others to continue to believe in this campaign and the need for the renovations,” Schulick said.
Echoing Schulick’s sentiments, John Hyden, associate vice president of University Facilities and Support Services, said a campaign fund was necessary for the project.
“We had to have a fundraising scheme in place before we [broke] ground,” Hyden said. “Now, we need to follow through on the tail end of it and bring in the money to pay the bonds and retire the debt.”
Hyden also said the Kilcawley renovations are unique with it being the largest dollar project in the school’s history, and construction did not begin with clearing land.
“Typically, you have a big construction project — you have an empty field and you start pouring foundation — [but] this one, we’re starting out by tearing the stuff down,” Hyden said.
In Phase One of the renovations, several meeting rooms, service offices and restaurants were relocated to spaces in DeBartolo, Silvestri and Jones Halls.
A detailed list of relocated offices is provided on ysu.edu.
