Lawrence's Rock Chalk Park is one of three sites in the Kansas City-area that could be selected as a base camp for a 2026 World Cup team.
A base camp includes medical staff, trainers, chefs, fans, the team and family, and could draw up to 15,000 people to the area. That's according to Ruth DeWitt, a sales operations manger with eXplore Lawrence and a member of the Unified Command planning team.
The Unified Command — comprised of the City of Lawrence, Douglas County, University of Kansas and eXplore Lawrence — is assessing how the Lawrence area will address hospitality, transportation, public safety, and economic impact.
Kansas has approved $28 million in World Cup funding. However, what of that funding is accessible to Lawrence is currently unknown.
"One of the big questions that our local governments have is, what are the expectations on us to provide funding in advance, with the assumption that we'll get reimbursed, or what are we going to have to pull from local taxpayer dollars to fund these activities," said Jill Jolicoeur, a Douglas County representative for the Unified Command.
- Ruth DeWitt, eXplore Lawrence and Unified Command member
- Jill Jolicoeur, Douglas County and Unified Command member
