LAWRENCE — KU reached a milestone this past Thursday, when it raised the final steel beam of the initial phase of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium’s renovation.

Construction on this part of phase one of the Gateway District project began in earnest after the last home game of the 2023 Kansas football season. KU commemorated the occasion with a ceremony, as many speakers shared their perspectives with the crowd on hand. Those speakers included Douglas Girod (KU’s chancellor), Travis Goff (KU’s director of athletics), Lance Leipold (KU’s head football coach), a pair of current players and more.

More work will follow, as the stadium is readied for the 2025 season. They’re executing an ambitious plan to create reimagined Southwest, West and North portions of the stadium, with a conference center joining the North end. And according to Turner Construction project executive Jason Brown, one of the event’s speakers, construction is on budget and on schedule.

“I think anything of this kind of magnitude, there has to be celebratory kind of benchmark moments,” Goff later told reporters. “You have to pause and reflect and certainly acknowledge and thank everybody who’s helped make it happen. Today was absolutely a really important day.”

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Here are five takeaways from what Goff said after the event, including his thoughts on the Gateway District project as a whole and what they think about the second phase — which addresses the rest of the stadium and more.

The final steel beam has added significance

There were numerous signatures on the final steel beam, and Goff explained those were from football players, people who’ve worked on the construction and athletics staff. He added it’s reflective of how many people helped make this happen. And a KU release from Thursday detailed more than 100 members of the football program signed and more than 300 members of Turner Construction’s team were present to sign and celebrate the moment.

The event also provided a chance to honor senior football players

Devin Neal and Jereme Robinson, two seniors on Kansas’ football team, won’t have the opportunity to play in the new-look stadium. However, they did speak at the event and take in just how far the project has come. Goff noted they represent the character of the players within the program, and highlighted how much they, their teammates and past players had a role in this project occurring.

“Devin turned to me during the program,” Goff said. “He said, ‘I can’t believe I’m not going to be able to play in this stadium.’ I said, ‘But Devin, you built it.’”

Travis Goff highlights current state of fundraising

When it comes to the $250 million fundraising goal they have for the first phase, Goff said they are close to reaching $200 million. He added there are exciting conversations ongoing. Those conversations just take time, he explained, considering the magnitude of the gifts they’re discussing.

Completing the first phase’s goal will help provide momentum toward the second phase and the goals they have for it.

Travis Goff discusses Gateway District’s second phase

Goff said the fact they are executing the first phase means they are getting close to the second. With that, it’s important to have the right kind of developer, partner. In addition to the rest of the stadium, Goff highlighted, there’s discussion about a hotel, potentially a residence hall and maybe more.

Goff added when they have announced those details, with a more refined funding plan, they’ll be more anxious than anyone to discuss them.

Travis Goff did not announce a finalized capacity for the 2025 season

David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium saw sellouts of 47,233 in 2023, but if there are sellouts in 2025 it’s not yet clear what that number would be. Goff noted the stadium will absolutely be in the 40,000s, given what they know about the renovated sections, the remaining East side and conceivably temporary things in the South. But whether it’s in the 41,000s, 42,000s or 43,000s, Goff mused, depends on the opportunities they want to tackle with the South.

Goff added how high they go in the 40,000s will eventually be determined by what they have permanently in the East and South. He liked what he saw from the two crowds at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, where Kansas football played its non-conference home games this year. He’s looking forward to the crowds at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, where they’ll play their Big 12 Conference home games.

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas football reaches Gateway District milestone with steel beam