For the past couple of weeks it has been hard not to notice what has been going on in the circle drive in front of Mabee library and next to Yager Stadium. The sudden changes have made some curious about why there is construction going on and what is going to happen in the space? Will there be any monuments or a sculpture placed like the ones that are all over the University?

The circle drive at the northwest corner of the football stadium was named Heitz Circle in honor of Mark and Lisa Heitz, who have supported dozens of Washburn projects across the campus for several decades. He has served on the Washburn Board of Regents as well as the law school’s Board of Governors and is currently a trustee of the Washburn Endowment Association. He is also an alumni of Washburn, having graduated in 1974. The circle street had previously been marked with a street sign, but now the landscaping in the circle is to be cleaned up to put a stone sign in the middle that matches other signs on campus.

“The sign will be similar to other stone signs that can be found around campus outside of different buildings and named areas. It’s Kansas limestone, which is a consistent theme throughout the campus,”said Patrick Early, director of Public Relations

The project has been in progress for more than a week. Some students have wondered when it will be completed.

“I have not heard an estimate of how long the project will take, but it is a fairly small landscaping project. So, I’m guessing it will be mostly complete within a week or two. We are using unrestricted capital dollars given by donors in the past to fund the project. The circle is a high traffic area, and we are excited to see it enhanced and excited to continue honoring long term supporters of the university.”said Marshall Meek, president of Washburn University alumni association and foundation.

Edited by Simran Shrestha and Ellie Walker