LAWRENCE, Kan., Sept. 2026 — The University of Kansas Jayhawks celebrated a major milestone in Phase II of the Gateway District development, with the completion of the lower bowl at the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in time for the 2026 season opener.
Designed by Multistudio and HNTB, the remaining scope of Phase II will include the upper bowl seating, permanent concourse and restroom structures, and a lower-level concourse with additional restrooms and concessions. The full Gateway District Development will include a two-level parking structure and plaza in 2027, new student housing in 2028, and a hotel.
Phase I of the Gateway District development concluded last fall and included replacing the west and east portions of the stadium, building a new conference center, improving the adjacent Anderson Family Football Complex, and adding a new WWI Memorial.
“The east side stands weren’t torn down until the end of last season, meaning the construction team had an 8-month turnaround time to make sure the stadium could be occupied in time for kick-off,” explained Gwen Gigous, Associate Principal at Multistudio and Project Manager for both phases of work.
“In Phase II, the HNTB team led the charge on the seating bowl design, which is an important piece of hitting this milestone and a major accomplishment for the entire design team. The entire Gateway District has been a huge collaboration between all of the design-build and development partners, including Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate, Sunflower Development Group, Clark Construction Group, and JE Dunn Construction.”
In addition to the lower bowl seating, the steel wheat columns surrounding the stadium were installed ahead of schedule, providing updated lighting for the new season. Construction for the remainder of Phase II of the stadium is scheduled for completion before the 2027 season kick off.
