Iowa State Center Redevelopment: Power & Light 2.0???

[discydisc]

Those are details I wasn't aware of. But, yeah, either way, I think you'd really have to consider the plain here if they indeed wanted to design the space for such functionality, whether elevated just between Fisher and Stephen's or throughout the ISC green space.

For those dreaming, maybe a food truck/bar cart court, or something along those lines, is more practical to build for the concept of an entertainment district here rather than building permanent improvements for restaurants or bars? Idk, I'm not an engineer, etc. so I'll leave that to the pros. (Not necessarily saying that'd be the best use for the area either).

Super Dog/Gyro Cart, Cornbred Truck, Rico's Tacos and the Iowa Craft Beer Tent; Sign me up.

 

[Cycsk]

Remember that events are held in other Iowa State Center buildings occasionally on game days. All-State music for example. That area in the OP photo is relatively new. There's been planning, including focus groups, for several years, and that green space is part of the overall plan. Plus, just a few years ago, voters in Ames turned down a proposal to build a hotel and expanded parking facility as part of Scheman. My biggest concerns then was a) lack of available parking when multiple events happened at the same time and b) where could people easily walk to from that hotel? When I go to conferences, I don't want to be confined to the onsite hotel restaurant for "nights on your own" and really, there aren't any within good walking distance able to handle large crowds and/or families.

There has always been confusion about the front/back of the Iowa State Center. One of the drawbacks of the proposed conference center a few years ago was that the loading dock would face Fisher and be visible from Lincoln Way. When you aren't using the ISC, Lincoln Way is the "front" and traffic goes by. When you are using the ISU, Lincoln Way is the "back" as you park across Center Street. However, you enter Stephens by walking past the loading dock and have to walk up the hill to get to the main entrance. Rather odd.

 

[VeloClone]

There has always been confusion about the front/back of the Iowa State Center. One of the drawbacks of the proposed conference center a few years ago was that the loading dock would face Fisher and be visible from Lincoln Way. When you aren't using the ISC, Lincoln Way is the "front" and traffic goes by. When you are using the ISU, Lincoln Way is the "back" as you park across Center Street. However, you enter Stephens by walking past the loading dock and have to walk up the hill to get to the main entrance. Rather odd.

This goes back as far as Stephens, the first building built in the ISC. The designers discussed turning things around to make the front entrance face south so everyone coming from the parking lots would enter the front of the building but the powers that be envisioned a building that people walked to so they wanted the front toward Lincoln Way and campus. So now we have both Hilton and Stephens with the vast majority of attendees entering the back door for every event.

 

[CYdTracked]

Probably wishful thinking turning that space into an everyday entertainment plaza. The flood plain issue being 1 of them but also the logistics as you have to have ample parking and traffic flow in and out of there and that is restricted around there currently during games. Plus it's campus property I believe which means you'd likely have to get board of regents approval to do anything there.

It's a neat idea, just not sure it's very "doable" in that particular place given all the challenges it presents to make it happen.

 

[Tornado man]

I believe there was a tax based vote for a new convention center on the east side of Hilton not that long ago. It didnt pass.

It was to basically enlarge Scheman.
But then ISU should have built their own convention center, as many universities have.
But ISU hasn't...

 

[theshadow]

I believe there was a tax based vote for a new convention center on the east side of Hilton not that long ago. It didnt pass.

There was a 2014 vote for a $19M bond issue. The total Scheman project was going to be about $38M, and the thought was that the university and the city would split the costs 50-50. The university was prepared to put up its half, but the city's bond vote needed 60% to pass, and got 37%.

There would have been an expansion of Scheman to the north, effectively making B1 covered parking. Then building space above it to match the height of the current Scheman. One early rendering: