To the editor:

KU and KU Athletics are spending upwards of $750 million on a Gateway project. This project is to assist in student recruitment and be an economic development win for all. KU’s CFO, Jeff DeWitt, stated this will bring in almost $2 billion to the county and the state of Kansas. Build legacy, attend a Gateway event, be impressed, and the KU seed is planted for generations. An existing tool is the Kansas Relays. How many students has KU recruited from relays and built legacies?

KU received tax breaks to make the Gateway financially feasible. The city partnership with KU Athletics for Rock Chalk Park includes a world class running surface so KU could host prominent track events. These events generate income for local businesses and our tax base, which is a basis for the partnership. What does KU Athletics do after the recent tax breaks? They cut an event that brought thousands to Lawrence. What is the impact to businesses, tax base and KU student recruitment by cancelling? Does this conflict with the student recruitment justification that was important for the Gateway project? KU Athletics does not have $350,000, but they can double an athletic director’s pay in just three years? What if KU CFO’s big money plans do not happen? I doubt the Gateway is going to pull its own weight for years. I hope the city manager has written guarantees from KU for event obligations to offset loss of tax and business income.

Pam Burkhead,

Lawrence