091025...R KILCAWLEY 2...Youngstown...09-10-25...B&B Wrecking and Excavating Company of Cleveland continues the demolition of the Kilcawley Center on the campus of YSU Wednesday afternoon...by R. Michael Semple

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN — Demolition work is continuing on Kilcawley Center in the middle of the Youngstown State University campus.

The demolition contractor, B&B Wrecking and Excavating Company of Cleveland, has nearly completed demolishing the student center’s interior walls and floors. Construction on the new $58 million center is expected to be completed by fall semester of 2027, but some sections, such as the food court, are expected to open sooner.

Since it opened in 1965, Kilcawley Center has served as a hub for numerous aspects of student life, as well as the central location for many businesses and events. The space needs to be modernized and has undergone few renovations in its 59-year existence.

Enhancements will include a Black Box Theater for performances, a larger Chestnut Room and a centralized dining space. Also, the design promises to integrate indoor and outdoor spaces, with an emphasis on providing a more welcoming and accessible environment for students, according to the university.

The renovations also will include a new stairway, work to revamp several entrances, both floors, a food court and an information center. Strollo Architects Inc. is collaborating with Pittsburgh-based AE Works on the project’s design aspects.

The renovation project’s initial phase got underway in May with the center’s closure.

In 1960, William H. Kilcawley and his wife, Mattie, made a $300,000 donation toward constructing the building, which began in 1964 before its opening the following year. In 1971 and 1979, Kilcawley Center underwent expansions that more than doubled its size, though the facility has seen no additional upgrades or renovations since.

The center hosts about 5,500 events and meetings annually. It also employs more than 80 students in various departments, according to university figures given at the “Kilcawley: Centered on the Future” fundraising campaign kickoff in the spring.