By Keon Edington / The Jambar
As the fall semester comes to a close, Youngstown State University’s Kilcawley Center continues to undergo renovations students navigate limited dining options and modified campus walkways, as renovations are expected through fall 2027.
The project began at the conclusion of spring 2025, with a $54 million budget to overhaul the student center.
Joy Polkabla Byers, interim vice president of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, said the project began in 2022 to address faults in the facility.
“It was coming to where a lot of the major systems within the facility needed to be addressed from the HVAC system to thinking about how the space was being utilized,” Polkabla Byers said. “When we did the feasibility study, we looked at a renovation in the current place as well as looking at a standalone facility.”
YSU worked with staff for six to nine months and toured many other facilities, hoping to find the right layout.
Most of Kilcawley remains shut down, blocked off by fences, and only part of it remains open for students to eat at five locations.
The overhaul is being completed in phases, with Phase One set to be concluded at the end of spring 2026. Phase Two will begin in May 2026 and run through the fall with a revamped food court. Lastly, Phase Three will start in fall 2026 and continue through 2027.
YSU will update numerous locations including new study areas, a community kitchen for cooking classes and a black box theater in the Chestnut Room.
“It’s a black box theater — it can be a small space for a more intimate crowd, or we open up kind of like a garage-door style that moves into our food court area,” Polkabla Byers said. “If you think about it, there’s a band playing and entertainment, but then you have this open space where people can be part of that event.”
The current food court gives a preview of that vision, with all dining options condensed in one area, rather than being spread throughout Kilcawley.
Many students and staff who arrive at Kilcawley often get lost in unfamiliar territory. As Polkabla Byers said, YSU gathered feedback to make the building easier for individuals to navigate.
“There will be a very clear process to walk through the building,” Polkabla Byers said. “Whether you’re coming from the [Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center] and you’re going east to west or you’re going north to south, that will be one of the big changes.”
Polkabla Byers also said the building plans add more light to food court spaces that previously appeared darkened.
“[It will let in] a lot more light into the building. Think about where Wendy’s was at. It was very dark, and a very poorly lit area is now going to be a very open, welcoming food court,” Polkabla Byers said.
With the renovations set to be completed soon, Polkabla Byers said she wants the center’s updates to foster socialization and a sense of belonging among students. “I feel like they feel welcome, that there’s a place for all of our students, faculty and staff to be together,” Polkabla Byers said. “I like to think of it’s a place where [students] are going to get to know people. They will start to recognize and make that their home while they’re here.”