OSU to Start Construction on Central Market Place

Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla., recently announced that construction will soon begin on a new campus dining facility. Citing outdated facilities and student feedback on social media, the university will replace the existing Kerr-Drummond dining complex with Central Marketplace, a 31,000-square-foot facility with four dining options and a capacity for about 300 guests, according to a news release. The project will cost about $22 million.

“We get a lot of feedback about dining on social media, and we really listen to what the students are saying and try to put a lot of thought into these concepts based on feedback that we’ve received,” said Student Union Marketing assistant director Debbie Shotwell.

Dining options available in Central Market Place will include:

  • Byte: A restaurant with a “ghost kitchen” concept that will serve a diverse, rotating menu. Guests will place their orders via kiosk or mobile app, and the meal will be prepped behind closed doors and delivered through a wall of lockers.
  • Caribou Coffee: The franchise will serve traditional and specialty coffee drinks, as well as bakery items.
  • 405 Deli: The sandwich shop will move from the existing Kerr-Drummond dining complex into the new dining facility to serve salads and gourmet sandwiches.
  • 1890 Market: The market will serve as a rebranding of the university’s on-campus convenience store in Kerr-Drummond. It will provide items like groceries, snacks, necessities, and grab-and-go items, according to the university news release.

Central Market Place has an estimated completion date of fall 2024. After construction is finished, the university plans to demolish Kerr-Drummond to make room for student parking.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Preparing for the Next Era of Healthcare Education, Innovation

    Across the country, public universities and community colleges are accelerating investments in healthcare education facilities as part of a broader strategy to address workforce shortages, modernize outdated infrastructure, and expand clinical training capacity. These projects, which are often located at the center of campus health and science districts, are no longer limited to traditional classrooms.

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part I

    We asked, you answered, and the results are in! Last year, we put out a call for submissions to collect our readership’s opinion on trends and predictions for K–12 and higher education facilities in 2026.

  • Houston-Area High School Breaks Ground on 117,000SF Multi-Use Facility

    North Shore Senior High School, part of Galena Park ISD in Houston, Texas, recently broke ground on a new multi-use facility for student extracurriculars, according to a news release. The North Shore Multi-Use Facility will include dedicated practice and training space for the school’s athletics and fine arts programs.

  • Photo credit: Elkus Manfredi Architects

    University of Virginia Selects Design-Build Team for New Residential Complex

    The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., recently announced that it has selected a design-build team for a new upper-class residential development on campus, according to a news release. Capstone Development Partners—in partnership with Elkus Manfredi Architects and the Hoar Construction/Hourigan construction team—will move forward with the three-building, 310,000-square-foot housing facility.