Demolition of the former Jayhawk Bookstore building at Crescent Road and Naismith Drive could get underway as soon as next week with the approval of the Historic Resources Commission.
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.
Monte Soukup, with KU Endowment, said the entrepreneurship program in the KU School of Business is growing at a high rate, and many students outside of the business school are participants in that.
“So they wanted to try to get a more central location up on campus and kind of unrelate it to the School of Business, if you will,” he told the commission Thursday evening.
The building, located at 1420 Crescent Road, was home of the Jayhawk Bookstore for decades prior to the store closing in 2016. McLain’s Market operated at the location for five years before closing in 2023.
“Because of the condition of the structure, and also their programming, this structure just does not work for what they need to do on the site,” Lynne Braddock Zollner, historic resources administrator, told the HRC.
City staff members 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.
Soukup said the demolition could potentially start next week as the HRC’s approval was the last needed. They’d like to get the building torn down before students arrive for the fall semester as that’s a busy intersection.
“Then we will move forward with this project. That’s not a question in my mind at all,” Soukup said.
Soukup said the endowment has hired PGAV Architects out of Kansas City for the design of the replacement building.
The building was constructed in 1948, according to the Douglas County Appraiser’s Office. The agenda noted that 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.
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 meeting agenda.
No members of the public gave comment during the meeting. Historic Resources Commission members approved the demolition 4-0.
The HRC also welcomed Stan Hernly as a new member Thursday, though he has served on the commission in the past.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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