How CYTown construction will impact parking at Jack Trice Stadium

Gameday is fast approaching, and with it comes several important changes Iowa State fans must take note of Saturday.

The Cyclones host the University of Northern Iowa at 1 p.m. inside Jack Trice Stadium in the 2023 season-opener.

Construction is a common theme around the stadium, though fans can still enjoy the impressive tailgating scene Ames is known for.

Jack Trice Stadium has moved to cashless concessions for the 2023 slate, so be sure to have a card or mobile payment ready to buy food, drinks or merchandise.

Motorists should also be aware of traffic delays due to construction on South 16th Street near Duff Avenue.

Parking will be more challenging than most years due to CYTown construction − the university's $200 million, three-acre entertainment project − though lots C4-5 and D3-5 have been completed and are open again as part of the first phase. The remaining lots are slated to be finished ahead of the 2024 football season.

Modernized utility infrastructure, including a stormwater management system, is being installed in the tailgating lots between Jack Trice and Hilton Coliseum. More than 160,000 cubic yards of material have raised the site's elevation 5 feet above flood stage of nearby Ioway Creek — which is 2 feet higher than what Ames city code requires, according to a news release from Iowa State Athletics in the spring.

Fans will be treated to a new, asphalt surface, better lighting and fire lanes in addition to parking spaces configured at 90 degrees, as opposed to the previous angled parking.

CyTown's second phase includes work on parking lots A1, A2, B3, B4, C3 and C4. The entire project is expected to be finished in three years.

Cushman & Wakefield real estate firm has been hired by the university to identify potential CYTown tenants and to develop plans for a proposed hotel and convention center.

More:Construction begins on CYTown, some parking lots near football, basketball stadiums closed

The grass parking lots along South 16th Street, south of the stadium, and the paved lot at the College of Veterinary Medicine will be right-turn only for drivers leaving the game.

A Game Day Parking Ordinance has been in effect since 2019 in the neighborhoods near the stadium. Fines for illegal parking are increased to $40 in these designated areas from 6 a.m. to midnight on home football game days. More than 500 signs are posted in these areas.

For fans arriving via rideshare like Uber or Lyft, use the Lot F drive lane for pick up and drop off.

Iowa State football tickets and parking passes are now digital only. To avoid delays, be sure to load your tickets and parking passes into the mobile wallet on your device before you leave for the game. Screenshots of barcodes cannot be used for admission.

All gates into the stadium have ticket pedestals that fans will use to scan their tickets from their devices.

In order to leave the stadium and return, fans must scan out and then scan back in again.

It’s probably going to be hot on Saturday, so stay hydrated. Fans can bring one 20-ounce or smaller unopened water bottle or an empty bottle into the stadium. Several bottle-filling stations are located throughout the stadium.

For those hoping to escape the heat, the Jacobson Building's ground floor is air-conditioned and open to the public.

Ronna Faaborg is a reporter for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at [email protected].