Wichita State University has received approval for the demolition of Cessna Stadium.
The Kansas Board of Regents voted 9-0 to approve the demolition request. The university said the stadium is in rough shape and is past the average lifespan of similar structures. More than $100,000 was spent on emergency repairs because of safety issues, and a study said the stadium will keep getting worse and cost more to fix as time goes on.
There are also accessibility issues because the current stadium is not ADA compliant.
If demolition is approved, is scheduled to happen in two parts. The whole project is expected to cost about $1.4-million, which would come from private and restricted fee funds. Wichita State will also look at reusing materials from the demolished stadium where possible.
WSU athletic director Darron Boatright said in a press release that there is no start date for the demoliton. He said the demolition will be done in phases to allow for Wichita State track and the annual Kansas State High School Track and Field Championship. He said the track will remain in place, and a new smaller multi-purpose stadium will be built on the site to serve men’s and women’s athletics and the regional community and economy.
Full text from the Board of Regents agenda can be found below.
Wichita State University requests approval to raze Cessna Stadium, building #71500-00042, on the main WichitaState University Campus at 1845 Fairmount St., Wichita, Kansas. The 30,000-seat stadium was constructed in1946 (with a significant renovation in 1969) as a football and track facility and was the home of the Shockerfootball program until it was discontinued in 1986. The stadium serves as the venue for the annual Kansas StateHigh School Track and Field Championship and the K.T. Woodman Track Classic.
The stadium consists of a lower section of concrete bleacher seating as well as a higher section of steel seatingstructure and a press box on the west side. There are numerous concrete/concrete block enclosures incorporatedinto the lower section of concrete bleachers extending to the area below the upper section of steel seating structure.These enclosures house team locker rooms and support facilities that are being relocated to the new StudentAthlete Center currently under construction adjacent to Koch Arena. There are also freestandingconcrete/concrete block structures under the steel seating structure serving as public restrooms, concessions andticketing areas.
The stadium is in poor condition and has outlasted the typical lifespan of exposed steel structures. A 2017 studyindicated that significant steel repair is needed – over $100,000 was invested at that time for immediate safetyrepairs. The facility continues to be exposed to the elements and deterioration of the steel structure will requireextensive repairs and is a continuing public safety concern. Additionally, the facility is not ADA compliant andpast studies have indicated that significant demolition and rework are needed to bring the facility into compliance.
Plans entail demolishing the stadium in two separate phases (demolition of the east stands as Phase 1 anddemolition of the west stands and press box as Phase 2) to allow track activities to continue until a new, smallermulti-purpose stadium is built on the site serving both men’s and women’s athletics and the regional communityand economy by supporting soccer, lacrosse, and track and field events for both Wichita State University as wellas K-12 aged tournaments from around the Midwest/Southwest in partnership with regional clubs. The cost ofrazing the building is estimated at approximately $1.4 million ($625,000 for the east stands and $775,000 for thewest stands) which will be funded from private funds and restricted fee funds. Opportunities will be explored tore-use any materials that can be salvaged from the demolition.
