KU breaks ground on new entrepreneurship building for all students

Students from architecture, engineering and the liberal arts will soon have a place at 1420 Crescent Road to test ideas, meet collaborators, record content and pitch a business concept without leaving campus. University of Kansas leaders marked that vision Friday with a ceremonial groundbreaking for The Hub, a new entrepreneurship building they say is meant to serve all KU students, not just those in business.

KU says the building will contain 29,608 square feet of learning and collaboration space and is slated to open in fall 2027, with classes expected to begin in spring 2028. Construction is set to start in summer 2026 so work does not disrupt the nearby campus intersection for the rest of the spring semester. The building will rise on ground that once held the Jayhawk Bookstore and later McLain’s Bakery, after KU Endowment bought the property in March 2024 and the old structure was demolished before fall 2025 classes began.

The university is pitching The Hub as a campuswide meeting point for student entrepreneurs, and the numbers help explain why. KU says 70% of entrepreneurship participants are nonbusiness majors, and the new building is designed to bring those students into one place with certificate, minor and co-curricular offerings. KU’s hub materials list more than 13 entrepreneurship-related programs tied to the space, including the Certificate in Entrepreneurship, Minor in Entrepreneurship, Jayhawk Consulting, The Catalyst, RedTire and Entrepreneur-in-Residence.

Inside, the building is planned around a three-floor progression. The first level will center on an open-play area with a lab, event space and collaborative zones. The second floor is set aside for formal instruction. The third floor is designed for deeper work, including seminar, conference and team rooms, a multifunction content-creation studio, a dedicated pitch area and an outdoor terrace for networking or stepping away with a fresh perspective.

KU officials, including Chancellor Doug Girod and School of Business Dean Jide Wintoki, have framed the project as part of the university’s broader economic role in Kansas. The school says the hub is meant to foster creativity, collaboration and connectedness across disciplines, while KU says graduates need entrepreneurial skill to succeed in their fields and strengthen the state’s economy.

The project is being funded entirely by donations. KU Endowment and the School of Business say an anonymous donor added a $10 million gift commitment to a $50 million lead gift made in 2023, bringing that donor’s total support to $60 million. KU estimates the full project will cost $21 million. PGAV Architects of Kansas City designed the building, and Mar Lan Construction is the general contractor.

The site also carries a local planning wrinkle. It sits west of the Chi Omega fountain and within the historic context area of the Chi Omega House at 1345 West Campus Road, which meant Historic Resources Commission approval was required. For Lawrence and Douglas County, the bigger question now is whether The Hub turns that investment into more student startups, more local business partnerships and a stronger homegrown talent pipeline once the doors open.