Lawrence’s Historic Resources Commission will consider Thursday whether to recommend the demolition of the building that formerly housed Jayhawk Bookstore and McLain’s Market on KU’s campus.
KU Endowment purchased the property early last year and plans to open an entrepreneurship hub to host multiple programs for the KU School of Business. A donor’s $10 million gift will support the new construction.
The building, located at 1420 Crescent Road, was home of the Jayhawk Bookstore for decades prior to the store closing in 2016. McLain’s operated at the location for five years before closing in 2023.
According to the Historic Resources Commission meeting agenda, KU intends to construct a new structure on the location in late 2026 or early 2027, but no official plans have been approved. The KU Endowment Association is raising funds and doing preliminary work for the structure.
The agenda says city staff do not typically recommend demolition prior to the approval of replacement plans to avoid the risk of a new structure not being built and leaving an empty lot. But the agenda cites extenuating circumstances to support approving demolition now, including avoiding impact on traffic and a commitment from KU to build a structure on the property.
According to the Douglas County Appraiser’s Office, the building was constructed in 1948.
The agenda notes the building has historic relevance due to its location and status as longtime home of Jayhawk Bookstore, but it doesn’t have its historical appearance because of a 2017 remodel by McLain’s Market.
“Subsequent additions have totally masked the original façade, and the current building has few similarities to the original structure,” according to the agenda.
The building is also in the context area of the Chi Omega House at 1345 West Campus Road, but “There are no significant architectural features that contribute to the character of the context area on the property. The altered structure has no relationship to the Chi Omega House other than proximity,” according to the agenda.
The HRC will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 17 at Lawrence City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St.
See the full meeting agenda at this link. See more about this agenda item at this link.
The Historic Resources Commission accepts written public comment emailed to planning@lawrenceks.org by 10 a.m. the day of the meeting. People can also give public comment during the meeting in person or virtually via Zoom.
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Cuyler Dunn (he/him), a contributor to The Lawrence Times since April 2022, is a student at the University of Kansas School of Journalism. He is a graduate of Lawrence High School where he was the editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper, The Budget, and was named the 2022 Kansas High School Journalist of the Year. Read his complete bio here. Read more of his work for the Times here.
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