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Regents consider $320-million renovation of KU sports facilities

Posted at 3:50 PM, Apr 19, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-19 16:55:11-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A five-year plan under consideration by the Kansas Board of Regents calls for $320 million in renovations to Jayhawks athletics facilities, including Allen Fieldhouse and Memorial Stadium.

The board received an outline of the proposed plan this week and could vote on the renovations as soon as mid-May at the Board's next scheduled meeting.

According to board documents, the plan calls for $300 million in renovations to Memorial Stadium, where the KU football team plays, in two phases that stretch beyond 2025.

The plan also includes $20 million in improvements at Allen Fieldhouse, home of the Jayhawks' men's and women's basketball teams, in 202.

Hoglund Ballpark would also receive a $22-million renovation in 2022 and 2023. It is the home field for KU's baseball team.

Kansas announced a $350-million fundraising campaign, Raise the Chant, in September 2017.

A $50-million pledge from alumnus David Booth, which was earmarked primarily for construction of a new inddor practice facility for football, kicked off the campaign under former Jayhawks athletic director Sheahon Zenger.

The indoor facility opened in February, but new athletic director Jeff Long pledged to re-evaluate the rest of the campaign shortly after arriving on campus in August 2018.

The old plan focused on overhauling the south end zone and west side of the stadium. Work was supposed to begin after the 2018 season, but timeline was pushed back to allow Long to get up to speed on the project.

It's unclear what, if anything, is different under the new proposal from what was announced as part of the Raise the Chant campaign.

The Hoglund renovations were part of the original plan, but it's unclear if there have been any changes to the scope.

The proposal also includes capital-improvement projects outside of sports with renovations planned at the Kansas Memorial Union, Oliver Residence Hall and parking improvements that would total more than $66 million.