K-State to kickoff Campus Master Plan with series of town halls

Kansas State University will kick off its NextGen K-State Campus Master Plan this week with town hall discussions to gather public feedback.

The planning process will include an in-depth evaluation of all campus spaces and how they should grow and develop in accordance with the Next-Gen K-State strategic plan. Associate Vice President of Facilities Casey Lauer says it’s the first such deep dive into facilities in over a decade.

“This is a really awesome opportunity to make a difference and to be able to influence and shape the future of not only the Manhattan campus, but also Salina and Olathe,” he said.

A large part of the up front process includes gathering data, but also taking a look at building conditions and how buildings are currently being utilized. K-State has yet to determine a use for Ahearn Field House, but Lauer says that could be determined through this process.

“We have a lot of thoughts but we’re going to make sure that those thoughts are in alignment with where we’re going as an institution but also aligned with all of the viewpoints, inputs and opinions from everyone else,” he said.

The goal, he says, is to have “meaty discussions” over the future use of Ahearn Field House. The process is just beginning and is expected to take about a year to 18 months, wrapping up sometime in early to mid-2025.

Town halls are scheduled in person at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the K-State Alumni Center, followed by a virtual town hall at 6:30 p.m. Town halls will also take place Wednesday for the Salina campus and Thursday for the Olathe campus.

A short survey is also available for the public to share thoughts about the K-State campuses.