Memorial Stadium in Lawrence blows

[KITNfury]

I think what this really means is that John Currie needs to run out and take out a $39 million dollar loan, then enter into a 50 year lease with a 3rd party (30 year payments of about $1.3 million, then FMV for the next 20) for a new outdoor track.   Allow that 3rd party to control nearly all revenue producing aspects of the facility, and also allow that 3rd party to use that facility for any event that they wish as long as it doesn't conflict with a K-State event.    Then add the cherry on top by agreeing to an extremely nebulous "escrow account" with the 3rd party which will place as yet undefined profits "aside" for future maintenance.

I think that's pretty much what needs to happen given that track and field is going to dominate the college sports landscape in the future.

Locking in at $1.3 million over the course of 30 years saves KU millions of dollars (present value vs. future value, inflation rate savings).  Also, the university doesn't have to change any bylaws by leasing the complex to a private corporation.  Alcohol sales and concert events will all be within code, and also, the complex is going to have a public recreational facility, as well as multiple other sports facilities.  It's not just for the track & field programs.

I see the potential coolness for the average Lawrencitian (?), but I would think for the university it would be embarrassing that they have to share the facility because they can't have one for themselves. Could you imagine having the city rec basketball league at AFH?

[sonofdaxjones]

The Developer controls all non ku sporting events, and can use any facility there when they're not being used by ku athletics for whatever they want to do.

[ArchE_Cat]

I think what this really means is that John Currie needs to run out and take out a $39 million dollar loan, then enter into a 50 year lease with a 3rd party (30 year payments of about $1.3 million, then FMV for the next 20) for a new outdoor track.   Allow that 3rd party to control nearly all revenue producing aspects of the facility, and also allow that 3rd party to use that facility for any event that they wish as long as it doesn't conflict with a K-State event.    Then add the cherry on top by agreeing to an extremely nebulous "escrow account" with the 3rd party which will place as yet undefined profits "aside" for future maintenance.

I think that's pretty much what needs to happen given that track and field is going to dominate the college sports landscape in the future.

Locking in at $1.3 million over the course of 30 years saves KU millions of dollars (present value vs. future value, inflation rate savings).  Also, the university doesn't have to change any bylaws by leasing the complex to a private corporation.  Alcohol sales and concert events will all be within code, and also, the complex is going to have a public recreational facility, as well as multiple other sports facilities.  It's not just for the track & field programs.

This isn't how it's going down at all. The City of Lawrence is leasing their new rec facility from the developer, this is enabling the developer to cut KU a sweet deal on the softball/track/soccer facility. The indoor rec facility has nothing to do with KU atletics. I do believe other entities will have occasional access to KU facilities when not used by KU. KU is not leasing anything to anyone, the new KU facilities are being subsidized by the new rec center.

[Belvis Noland]

So what's the phog forecast on when shovels hit the ground?  Did I see November' 14? 

[ArchE_Cat]

So what's the phog forecast on when shovels hit the ground?  Did I see November' 14?

there are foundations and concrete walls in place for the stadium already.

[felix rex]

so the city of Lawrence is sharing their park with ku track and field?

I just googled it and it sounds like this is pretty much the case.

[TheCatFanSpeaks]

so the city of Lawrence is sharing their park with ku track and field?

I just googled it and it sounds like this is pretty much the case.

So like the track will go around the jungle gyms and slides?

[OregonSmock]

so the city of Lawrence is sharing their park with ku track and field?

I just googled it and it sounds like this is pretty much the case.

http://www.ci.lawrence.ks.us/assets/lprd/20130617_Rec_Center_Update.pdf

[timhawk]

so the city of Lawrence is sharing their park with ku track and field?

I just googled it and it sounds like this is pretty much the case.

http://www.ci.lawrence.ks.us/assets/lprd/20130617_Rec_Center_Update.pdf

that looks better than anything in mancrappin

[Cartierfor3]

so the city of Lawrence is sharing their park with ku track and field?

I just googled it and it sounds like this is pretty much the case.

http://www.ci.lawrence.ks.us/assets/lprd/20130617_Rec_Center_Update.pdf

that looks better than anything in mancrappin

mancrappin

[kslim]

so the city of Lawrence is sharing their park with ku track and field?

I just googled it and it sounds like this is pretty much the case.

http://www.ci.lawrence.ks.us/assets/lprd/20130617_Rec_Center_Update.pdf

that looks better than anything in mancrappin

lol maybe manhattan high school.

[OregonSmock]

so the city of Lawrence is sharing their park with ku track and field?

I just googled it and it sounds like this is pretty much the case.

http://www.ci.lawrence.ks.us/assets/lprd/20130617_Rec_Center_Update.pdf

that looks better than anything in mancrappin

It's pretty much the same size as K-State's entire campus. 

[ArchE_Cat]

so the city of Lawrence is sharing their park with ku track and field?

I just googled it and it sounds like this is pretty much the case.

http://www.ci.lawrence.ks.us/assets/lprd/20130617_Rec_Center_Update.pdf

that looks better than anything in mancrappin

i guess you really really like concrete and CMU block.

[timhawk]

Is this thing just for ladies' track or will other genders/sports be able to use it too?

it's for other genders as well and it will be where the kansas relays will be held as well. the whole reason for building this new track facility is so that they can now move on to improvements to the football stadium. Our AD said that nothing would be done to Memorial Stadium until the track department had a place, now they do.

[yoman]

Is this thing just for ladies' track or will other genders/sports be able to use it too?

it's for other genders as well and it will be where the kansas relays will be held as well. the whole reason for building this new track facility is so that they can now move on to improvements to the football stadium. Our AD said that nothing would be done to Memorial Stadium until the track department had a place, now they do.

Go for it man. History awaits.

[OregonSmock]

Is this thing just for ladies' track or will other genders/sports be able to use it too?

it's for other genders as well and it will be where the kansas relays will be held as well. the whole reason for building this new track facility is so that they can now move on to improvements to the football stadium. Our AD said that nothing would be done to Memorial Stadium until the track department had a place, now they do.

Go for it man. History awaits.

The track program just won a national championship this year, so I'd say history is off to a pretty good start. 

[yoman]

Is this thing just for ladies' track or will other genders/sports be able to use it too?

it's for other genders as well and it will be where the kansas relays will be held as well. the whole reason for building this new track facility is so that they can now move on to improvements to the football stadium. Our AD said that nothing would be done to Memorial Stadium until the track department had a place, now they do.

Go for it man. History awaits.

The track program just won a national championship this year, so I'd say history is off to a pretty good start.

Track crap talking on a football board is why Beems is BITB IMO.

[sonofdaxjones]

Hey guys "Rock Chalk Park" has been talked about now for well over a decade.    It was going to be built on campus.   But Cheyenne Zulu looked at the bank accounts:  Total Revenues from all sports before non sport specific revenues were in the dumps by millions in FY 2012.   Total Operational Revenue was nearly $9 million in the red for FY 2012.   Unrestricted funds on account was in the hole to the tune of -$4.5 million in FY 2012.   The BOR weren't going to sign off any more state backed (Kansas Development Finance Authority) borrowing for facilities that didn't produce revenue.   

There was simply no way Cheyenne Zulu could afford to build Rock Chalk Park on campus.   So he gobbled together a deal with some developers, entered into a 50 year lease for some land way off campus, and went and borrowed $40 million bucks from the ku academic scholarship fund.

Pretty creative, but it has to be a cool hard slap in the financial reality face for those touting the, "Lew is Building a monster and K-State is in shambles" spiel a few years ago.

 

[pissclams]

Is this thing just for ladies' track or will other genders/sports be able to use it too?

it's for other genders as well and it will be where the kansas relays will be held as well. the whole reason for building this new track facility is so that they can now move on to improvements to the football stadium. Our AD said that nothing would be done to Memorial Stadium until the track department had a place, now they do.

is there anything else we need to know about as well?

[Emo EMAW]

other genders  

[Mixed-Nutz]

Hey guys "Rock Chalk Park" has been talked about now for well over a decade.    It was going to be built on campus.   But Cheyenne Zulu looked at the bank accounts:  Total Revenues from all sports before non sport specific revenues were in the dumps by millions in FY 2012.   Total Operational Revenue was nearly $9 million in the red for FY 2012.   Unrestricted funds on account was in the hole to the tune of -$4.5 million in FY 2012.   The BOR weren't going to sign off any more state backed (Kansas Development Finance Authority) borrowing for facilities that didn't produce revenue.   

There was simply no way Cheyenne Zulu could afford to build Rock Chalk Park on campus.   So he gobbled together a deal with some developers, entered into a 50 year lease for some land way off campus, and went and borrowed $40 million bucks from the ku academic scholarship fund.

Pretty creative, but it has to be a cool hard slap in the financial reality face for those touting the, "Lew is Building a monster and K-State is in shambles" spiel a few years ago.

[OregonSmock]

Hey guys "Rock Chalk Park" has been talked about now for well over a decade.    It was going to be built on campus.   But Cheyenne Zulu looked at the bank accounts:  Total Revenues from all sports before non sport specific revenues were in the dumps by millions in FY 2012.   Total Operational Revenue was nearly $9 million in the red for FY 2012.   Unrestricted funds on account was in the hole to the tune of -$4.5 million in FY 2012.   The BOR weren't going to sign off any more state backed (Kansas Development Finance Authority) borrowing for facilities that didn't produce revenue.   

There was simply no way Cheyenne Zulu could afford to build Rock Chalk Park on campus.   So he gobbled together a deal with some developers, entered into a 50 year lease for some land way off campus, and went and borrowed $40 million bucks from the ku academic scholarship fund.

Pretty creative, but it has to be a cool hard slap in the financial reality face for those touting the, "Lew is Building a monster and K-State is in shambles" spiel a few years ago.

As usual, 'Pad takes the most butthurt, anti-KU approach possible.  Here's the truth:

http://www.kuathletics.com/genrel/041613aaa.html

Construction plans call for a track and field stadium with approximately 7,000 permanent seats and room for some 3,000 temporary seats, a softball stadium for more than 1,500 spectators, and a 2,500-seat soccer stadium. Zenger said two different independent studies showed that Kansas Athletics would likely have had to spend in excess of $50 million to build these facilities. Under the partnership of Thomas and Dru Fritzel and Bliss Sports, however, Kansas Athletics will be able to build them for $39 million, spread out over 30 years.

The complex will be near the intersection of 6th Street and George Williams Way, just east of K-10. Kansas Athletics now begins construction, along with the KU Endowment Association and Bliss Sports, and plans to have the new facilities ready for the 2014 Kansas Relays. An official opening date for Kansas soccer and softball has not been announced.

While giving due credit to each of the three programs for their successes with sub-par facilities, Zenger made it clear that his vision - and the vision of all involved in the project - was not only to build a facility that could compete with fellow Big 12 Conference schools, but to be even better. He also reminded those in attendance that nearly 75 percent of Rock Chalk Park's inhabitants will be female student-athletes as men's track and field will be the only male team housed at the facility.

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2013/apr/16/ku-officials-break-ground-rock-chalk-park-set-goal/

The Rock Chalk project — which KU officials have said would cost KU about $40 million to build, but is being constructed and financed by Fritzel and leased back to the university — will include several components:

• a 7,336-seat track and field stadium designed to receive the highest Class I certification from track and field’s international governing body;

• a 2,156-seat soccer field;

• a 1,037-seat softball stadium that also will include a 12,715-square-foot indoor softball training facility;

• about 4,500 square feet of locker room space for the facilities, plus concession stands and other guest amenities.

• about 1,500 paved parking spaces, with a large grassy area to accommodate overflow parking.

Zenger said KU officials will use the facility — particularly the track and field stadium that is expected to become just the fifth U.S. track to meet the top international standard — to host both conference and national events.

“We’re going to try to host any championship that comes our way,” Zenger said, “and that means all the way up to the NCAA Championships.”

Stanley Redwine, head coach of KU’s track and field and cross country teams, said he expects the new facility to be a regular host of the Big 12 Track and Field Championships and to receive strong consideration for national-level youth championships for events sanctioned by USA Track & Field.

“I believe Lawrence could be really huge with track and field,” Redwine said. “There already is an interest here, and now we’ll have the facilities.”

[Belvis Noland]

Wait, so KU commissioned a masterplan for the track facility.  Yet, they don't have a masterplan for Memorial?   

[OregonSmock]

Wait, so KU commissioned a masterplan for the track facility.  Yet, they don't have a masterplan for Memorial?   

Where did you get the idea that KU doesn't have a masterplan for Memorial? 

[lopakman]

Wait, so KU commissioned a masterplan for the track facility.  Yet, they don't have a masterplan for Memorial?   

Where did you get the idea that KU doesn't have a masterplan for Memorial?

#burnitdown