The Union Station Food Court inside the University of Iowa’s Iowa Memorial Union will close on March 13 due to renovations.

The closure marks the next phase of a sweeping renovation project that will temporarily disrupt dining operations while permanently changing how food is served inside the IMU, Director of Dining Services Don Stanwick said.

Stanwick said the Union Station space will become a standalone restaurant rather than a collection of different vendors. On the first floor, the former River Room area will be redesigned, still including made-to-order concepts such as pasta and adding a dedicated sushi counter. 

Godfather’s Pizza will be relocated to an enclosed patio space near Madison Street, further distributing dining options.

The dining format of Union Station will change from its existing food court setup and become a stand-alone restaurant, while the River Room Café will be spread out and easier to access, Stanwick said.   

Stanwick said the food portion of the renovation is expected to be completed in spring or early summer 2027.

Stanwick said the first phase of construction began after the Iowa House Hotel closed in February 2025. The former hotel space is being converted into a centralized wellness center that will house student mental health and medical services. 

The broader renovation was delayed for years after major flooding of the IMU in 2008. Because FEMA disaster funding was involved, the university could not complete a full-scale renovation for approximately 15 years, Stanwick said. 

Planning resumed in recent years, including commissioned studies and roughly two years of design work before construction began, he said.

The renovation also affects the IMU’s catering kitchen, which will temporarily close as construction begins. To maintain operations, catering services will relocate to a former restaurant space at Sycamore Mall, Stanwick said. 

Dining staff began interior construction at the new site in January and are working to secure permits and pass health inspections before opening, he said.

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Catering will operate through March 13 before equipment is moved. After a brief transition period and inspection, full operation is expected to resume around March 23 at the new Sycamore Mall space, Stanwick said.

During the relocation week, catering will temporarily use a campus marketplace kitchen for smaller events, though Stanwick said that presents challenges during the academic year.

“It’s just really hard to use a marketplace during the middle of the school year when you’re feeding 5,000 students a day,” Stanwick said.

Avoiding layoffs was a priority during the transition, Stanwick said. Student employees affected by the Union Station closure were given placement options and allowed to maintain their current schedules if they chose to continue working. 

“We want to make sure everybody still has a job,” Stanwick said.

Jacob Vosler, a third-year UI student who works at Union Station, said he learned about the closure about a month and a half ago. He chose to transfer to The Filling Station inside the dental building because it was closest to his home.

Stanwick said the IMU typically sees about 4,500 visitors daily, and he expects that traffic to disperse to other dining locations during construction. 

Christyn Lamar, manager of the Hawk Shop Cafe and Market inside the IMU, said her team is adding equipment such as food warmers and hiring three to four additional employees ahead of spring break. The cafe is also installing a ramen noodle bar, expected to open over spring break.

Lamar said she is excited for the projected increase in customers.

 “There are days when we are really slow. We won’t have any breaks now,” Lamar said. 

Stanwick said he is most excited about introducing new dining concepts, incorporating technology, and potentially bringing in national brands.

“It is really going to enhance the student experience on campus,” Stanwick said.