Texas A&M is moving forward with plans to build a new law building and urban research campus in downtown Fort Worth.
The university's board of regents on Thursday gave the approval to spend $1.5 billion on future projects, including $170 million that will be spent on the first two buildings -- $85 million for a new Law and Education Building and another $85 million for a Research and Innovation Center.
Both buildings will be built blocks away from Texas A&M's current Law building, which is scheduled to be replaced by the new building in 2024.
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"This past decade has seen a historic construction boom for the A&M System around the state," said Chancellor John Sharp. "But expansion into the nation's fastest-growing large city is a game-changer for the A&M System, the city of Fort Worth and the whole Metroplex."
In a statement from the university Thursday, city officials invited the university to build the research campus to spur innovation and business development. The school worked with city leaders to identify "programs in emergency response communication, medical technologies, advanced manufacturing, nutrition, biotechnology, medical laboratory science and nursing as areas of interest."
TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING PARTNERSHIP WITH TARRANT COLLEGE
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Texas A&M's College of Engineering recently announced a partnership to create an Engineering Academy with Tarrant College. Students would be co-enrolled in Tarrant County College and Texas A&M and would take basic courses from Tarrant College faculty while A&M professors would teach the engineering courses.
The students then would transfer to the College Station campus to complete their bachelor's degrees.
A&M CAPITAL PLAN PROJECTS
The Fort Worth project is part of a 5-year, $4.2 billion capital plan that includes $2.7 billion of projects that already are in design or construction, plus the $1.5 billion of newly proposed projects. Other new proposed projects at Texas A&M University include:
- An $118 million addition to the Clinical Veterinary Teaching & Research Complex, including almost $70 million from PUF proceeds;
- $175 million for a Visualization, Fine and Performing Arts Building;
- $40 million for Phase II of The Gardens at Texas A&M University;
- $75 million for an Aggie Band Residence Hall;
- $100 million Museum of Natural History.
Other significant proposed projects include:
- $370 million for new Austin headquarters and State Emergency Operations Center for the Texas Division of Emergency Management;
- $110 million Convocation Center at Tarleton State University;
- $58 million for a new event center at A&M-Commerce;
- $20 million for an addition to the Nursing Education & Research Center in McAllen;
- $15 million to finish out the EnMed Discovery Tower Labs & Offices in Houston;
- $11.5 million for a Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital in Galveston;
- $20 million for an addition to the Arts and Media Building at A&M-Corpus Christi;
- $10.8 million to expand the Western Hemisphere Trade Center at A&M-International in Laredo;
- $9.4 million for addition to Fine and Performing Arts at A&M-International;
- $10 million for a research annex at A&M-Central Texas, including $5 million from PUF proceeds.
- $35 million for Phase III of students housing at A&M-San Antonio;
- $30 million for the Amarillo Research Extension Center at Canyon, including $20 million from PUF proceeds.
