Rock Chalk Renovations: P1 Plays a Critical Role in Creating That One-of-A-Kind User Experience at KU’s David Booth Memorial Stadium

On the evening of August 23, the final bars of the national anthem were drowned out by the roar of three F-35 fighter jets as they flew over the stadium to the cheers of an at-capacity crowd.

The start of the college football season is always filled with excitement and anticipation, but none more than the home opener for the University of Kansas as they christened the newly renovated David Booth Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, KS.

Memorial Stadium has a rich history and was originally dedicated on November 11, 1922, to honor 129 fallen WWI alumni and students. Over the past century of use, the stadium has undergone several upgrades and renovations, but none as impressive as the most recent $450 million project with phase one completed in August 2025.

Demolition on the stadium started almost immediately after the final football game of the season, in December of 2023.

The general contractor and engineering bids went to Turner Construction and Henderson Engineering, with P1 Construction securing the electrical portion of the project.

Multiple P1 teams contributed to this flagship project, but one thing everyone agreed on was that teamwork definitely “made the dream work” on this complex, fast-paced project.

Left: Installing the 1500KW/1875KVA generator

Even before the final electrical contract was awarded, P1 also had the contract for the enabling and preparation, which took place before - and after - demolition.

Before returning to the field to be the superintendent on the stadium portion of the project, Scott Bond Jr. was the project manager for the underground portion of the contract with Dusty Casto as general foreman.

 “Enabling and preparation for the demo, and having the underground contract, led into the actual stadium construction package,” Scott explained.

The scope for the underground included rough-in for the electrical rooms and all the electrical services, including the scoreboard.

Construction began in April of 2024, and even with the university moving all the football games to other stadiums for the season, it still left a brief 16 months to have everything complete for the start of the 2025 season.

But as always, P1 was up to the challenge and put single-source capabilities to work to provide services for the vast - and fast - construction needs.

This included P1's electrical Virtual Design & Construction (BIM) team led by Senior VDC Electrical Specialist Steve Gray and P1's electrical fabrication team, led by Electrical Shop Manager Kaleb Palmer. 

P1’s electrical construction and low voltage/Building Technologies divisions worked closely together – along with Turner and subcontractor partners - to deliver a hugely successful project.

For the electrical construction contract, P1 installed the power distribution system throughout the new stadium (one 4000A service, three 3000A services, one 1600KW generator, and all associated switchboards, distribution panels, transfer switches, transformers, branch panelboards, disconnects, and VFD’s).

This also included providing power to the following: wiring devices, kitchen equipment, mechanical equipment (chillers, cooling towers, boilers, AHU’s, RTU’s, MAU’s, FCU’s, pumps, split systems, exhaust fans, the scoreboard, the ribbon boards, and multiple graphic elements).

P1 installed the light fixtures, lighting controls and associated circuitry/control wiring as part of the project. P1 also provided pathways for P1’s low voltage group as well as the other low voltage groups involved, this included security/access control, cameras, broadcast, and AV cabling.

According to Senior Project Manager Dolan Boxberger, the fast pace of the project was a considerable challenge, but P1’s strong team helped push the project schedule and keep it on track.

“The P1 team was very proactive in reviewing the plans, specs, and submittals to get out in front of potential
problems,” he said.

“Our superintendents, foreman, and project engineers - Camden Wheatley and Mason Hilgenkamp - were a great asset, looking ahead to find discrepancies and getting them squared away before they held up progress or the schedule,” Dolan said.

Manpower between P1 and electrical subcontractor DL Smith was also challenging with the project handling as many as 200+ electricians at the peak.

“Keeping manpower on site and productive was a daily battle due to the large spread-out nature of the project,” Dolan said. “Our superintendents and foreman, mostnotably Scott Bond, Jr. and Shawn Norris, kept the field updated with the information they needed to stayproductive and on schedule.”

The whole P1 Construction crew gathered for a photo. 

Senior Integrated Solutions Manager Travis Fleming said P1 technologies also had great success on this project thanks to a solid team, led by Foreman Manuia Savea.

“The team was very responsive and worked together toward the common goal with the other teams involved, including our own P1 electrical construction,” Travis said.

P1’s Building Technologies division installed approximately 2500 Cat6A cables feeding building automation, cameras, over 500 wireless access points, numerous cameras, point of sale, time of day clocks, area of refuge phones and general use ports.

The team built out (13) remote Intermediate Distribution Frames (IDFs) and one Main Distribution Frame (MDF), with basket tray, grounding and bonding, and racking and cable management. They also installed an area of refuge system which required in house engineering to meet code. This emergency system operates 24/7, and if campus police don’t answer for some reason, the system can call other designations such as 911.

“When changes came up, we were all in sync and I saw how much detail the team put into the project,” Manuia said. “This project feels different for me due to the hands-on involvement from field, office, partners, and GC. It really helped me as a foreman because of how much I learned along the way from all the experts involved.”

“I was able to go to a game and see all the lights and the screens and know how much work went into it. It’s a project that I’m proud to have been involved with.”

P1 Electrical was also subcontracted under Johnson Controls (JCI) for Building Automation (controls), led by Project Engineer Michael Green.

Michael says the team was mostly new to building controls, but everyone took initiative to learn on the fly from the more experienced technicians to understand the nuances of a system this size.

“We had some great help at every level, from apprentices to leadership. This was a wonderful display of teamwork and collaboration by all involved,” Michael said.

“While the basis of our work is conduit and wire, that just scratches the surface of what is needed to understand how BAS (building automation) systems function.”

The controls system does just that, monitors and controls the functions of every aspect of the building, including boiler/chiller plant, air handling units, exhaust fans, and even lighting controls monitoring,” he explained.

“P1 Technologies touched almost every piece of equipment.”

Despite the tight schedule, construction was completed and everything operational for opening day.

The fans may never know the role P1 teams played in creating this exciting experience but bringing facilities like the stadium to life - building spaces that are safe, fun, healthy, and optimal for users - is what keeps P1 coming to work every day.  

QUICK FACTS:

Electrical Construction

P1 Electrical Contract Amount: $51,270,554
Duration: 16 months  |  Completion: 8/1/25
P1 Team: Electrical PM/PEs: Dolan Boxberger – Senior PM; Shawn Norris – Project Site Supervisor; Mason Hilgenkamp – Project Engineer; Camden Wheatley – Project Engineer; Electrical Superintendent: Scott Bond Jr.; General Foremen: Jake Massey; Michael Wessel; Jeff Goodman; Darren Ousdahl; Ed Longstaff; Foremen: Josh Fletchall; Tyler Ecord; Lucas Nelson; Jacob Bond; Jacob Reaves; Jerod Wells; Shawn Hastings

• 216,000 feet of conduit (Rensenhouse)
• Total feet of MC cable: 341,500 feet or 23,330 lbs of MC Cable (Van Meter)
• Total feet/lbs of copper wire: 1,003,445 feet or 346,180 lbs of copper wire (Van Meter)
• 5200 light fixtures (Rensenhouse)
• One 4000A and three 3000A 277/480V (Evergy Services)
• One 1500KW/1875KVA Generator

Low Voltage (Building Technologies)

P1 Technologies Contract Amount: $3,400,000
Duration: 16 months  |  Completion: 8/1/25
Team: Travis Fleming - Senior Integrated Solutions Manager; Dylan Walters – Project Engineer;
Manuia Savea – Foreman

• Installation of 2,500 Cat6A Commscope/Systimax cables providing 25-year
  manufacturer warranty
• Build-out of 13 Remote IDF switch rooms and one main switch room, connected with single mode fiber optic cabling and 50 pair copper
• Installation of area of refuge system, time of day clocks, and wireless access points
• 180' boom lift needed for installation of Cat6A cables feeding upper level

Building Automation System for Johnson Controls

Contract amount: $1.3 million
Team: Michael Green - Project Engineer; Seth O’Brien - Superintendent; Josh Landkamer - General Foreman; Derek Haverkamp - Foreman; Aaron Wertz - Foreman; David Young - Foreman

• P1 installed approximately 24,000’ of conduit with 200,000’ of cable
• 17 AHU’s, RTU’s, and MAU’s
• 70 Fan Coil Units
• 163 VAVs
• Boiler Plant with 5 boilers, 4 HW Pumps
• Chilled Water Plant with four Chillers, 10 pumps and one remote Cooling tower
• 200 misc. dampers, fans, and heaters

VDC (Building Information Modeling) Team: Steve Gray, Electrical VDC Supervisor; Russell Corpening, Electrical VDC Technical Coordinator; Collin Blatchford, Electrical VDC Specialist; Ben Jesse, Electrical VDC Specialist; Jeff Philgreen, Electrical VDC Specialist; Taylor Steele, Mechanical Piping VDC Specialist

Electrical Fabrication Team: Kaleb Palmer, Electrical Shop Manager; Scott Bibens, Electrical Shop Foreman;  Mike Van Auken; Mark Smelser