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NEWS RELEASE

8-15-03

Contacts:
Kate Bruns, Department of Residence, (515) 294-5637
Randy Alexander, Department of Residence, (515) 294-5636
Carol Petersen, ISU Dining, (515) 294-3856
Annette Hacker, News Service, (515) 294-3720

UNION DRIVE COMMUNITY CENTER SET TO OPEN AT IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University is ready to open the new Union Drive Community Center on the west side of campus. The 23,500-square foot facility will feature a new dining venue, the Union Drive Marketplace; a sports-themed restaurant called Clyde's, a multi-purpose room for 230, a fitness center, post office, document center, and a retail convenience store, the West Side Market.

Preliminary openings are underway; the Union Drive Marketplace, Clyde's and West Side Market will begin serving students on Friday, Aug. 22.

Iowa State University President Gregory Geoffroy and other leaders will officially dedicate the Union Drive Community Center at 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5. The public is invited to attend.

"We are thrilled to announce the opening of this building and the wonderful dining facilities it includes," said Jon Lewis, director of ISU Dining for the Department of Residence. "This facility represents a complete change in the type of services we will offer our customers in the Iowa State community, including students, faculty, and staff."

Students may dine at the Union Drive Marketplace by redeeming all-you-care-to-eat meals from their meal plans. Faculty, staff, visitors and students who do not have meal plans may purchase the all-you-care-to-eat meals. A la carte purchases wont be offered in the Union Drive Marketplace.

Union Drive Marketplace will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Home-style breakfast offerings will include eggs and omelets cooked to order, breakfast casseroles, pancakes and French toast. Patrons may also enjoy a waffle bar, omelet bar, and a cereal bar with more than two dozen selections.

Lunch and dinner at the Union Drive Marketplace will be offered in a variety of venues:

Country Cuisine offers home-style selections, including grilled-to-order steaks;
Customers will be able to create their own Mongolian stir-fry meals or dine on Mexican fare at Wok Your Way;
Oregano's will offer Italian dishes, including pizza and pasta;
Traditional burgers and fries will be available at the Backyard Grill.

Also available will be the Sweet Temptations dessert bar, The Farmer's Market salad bar, and Fresh Choices delicatessen, where customers can get made-to-order deli sandwiches. The waffle and cereal bars will also be open for lunch and dinner.

Clyde's Sports Club is named in honor of Clyde Williams Field, the former home venue for Iowa State football. The Clyde Williams Field site is the current home of the new Union Drive suite-style residence halls being constructed on the Iowa State campus, located near the new Union Drive Community Center. Clyde's will offer appetizers, beverages, sandwiches, and entrees in a fun, relaxing Cyclone atmosphere. The themed restaurant will feature 50-inch big screen televisions and an Iowa State sports decor. Clyde's will be open late to allow students an extra option for redeeming Dining Dollar$ after the Union Drive Marketplace is closed. Cash may also be used at Clyde's.

The multi-purpose room will be available for members of the Iowa State community to reserve for special events, meetings, educational programs or group presentations.

The Union Drive Fitness Complex, or "The Plex," will be open to student residents who wish to purchase memberships. The complex will include a variety of weight machines, free weights, training equipment, and accessories.

The post office/mail center will provide mail distribution for residents of the Union Drive neighborhood, including Friley, Helser, and Eaton Halls.

The Union Drive Document Center will be managed by ISU Printing Services and will offer a variety of photo and document services.

The West Side Market will offer essential items like toiletries, school supplies and cleaning products; also available will be a wide variety of meal and snack items, such as chips, candy, hot dogs, ice cream and frozen food items. The West Side Market will be an additional late-night meal option, as it will offer soup, made-to-order deli sandwiches, and smoothies. Dining Dollar$ and cash may be used at the West Side Market.

The $15 million Union Drive Community Center project was completed by Knutson Construction Co. Project architects included Baldwin-White Architects and Angelini and Associates Architects. Ricca Newmark Design of Denver, Colo., served as food service consultant to the project.

More information about this new facility is available on the Iowa State University Web site at http://www.public.iastate.edu/~dor/UDCC/homepage.html.

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