photo by: MultiStudio/University of Kansas

A rendering provides an overview of how a $300 million development project on the east side of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium could take shape. The silver multistory building nearest the stadium is a Marriott hotel. The two red buildings along Mississippi Street would be home to student apartments, with restaurants, retail and office space on the ground floor. An outdoor plaza area is located between the three buildings.

Touting it as one of the biggest single donations in the history of college sports, the University of Kansas athletic department announced on Wednesday morning that it had received a gift of $300 million from donor David Booth.

The donation includes $75 million to help jump-start the upcoming second phase of KU’s Gateway project, plans for which include a hotel, retail development and student housing surrounding the stadium that already bears Booth’s name on its marquee.

“David’s unprecedented generosity is transformative now and for our future,” KU athletic director Travis Goff said in a press release. “It accelerates phase II of the Gateway District and the new ‘Booth’ and inspires others to step up and join in completing this vision. We’re profoundly grateful for David’s leadership and extraordinary impact on generations of student-athletes and fans. There is no more generous and impactful Jayhawk, and we are so fortunate to call him a friend and mentor.” 

Booth’s donation closely follows a major procedural step for the Gateway project. The Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday night voted to approve about $94.6 million in a variety of financial incentives, including STAR bonds and a Tax Increment Financing district. Under the terms of the city’s agreement with KU, that total will account for about 27% of the phase’s overall costs.

That means Booth’s gift, in and of itself, provides another 21%.

“One of life’s greatest privileges is being able to give back to the people and places that gave so much to you,” Booth said in a release. “KU and Lawrence are a big part of my story, and it means a lot to support the community that invested in me. Philanthropy, like investing, pays dividends over time. Each gift compounds, creating opportunities not just for today, but for years to come. This is really about the future we’re building.”   

KU officials have previously said the plan for the second phase of the project is to begin construction following the conclusion of the 2025 season. Goff has also said that KU plans to find ways to continue to play inside the stadium while the second phase is in progress, potentially with reduced capacity or some sort of ersatz seating available on the east side of the venue.

In the meantime, the university is just days from completion of the first phase of the Gateway project, as David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium officially reopens for the KU football team’s game against Fresno State on Aug. 23. The conference center located in the stadium’s north bowl is expected to open in earnest in October.

This story will be updated.