Fort Worth is adding another shade of purple to its mix — maroon. Texas A&M University is grabbing our city by its horned frogs and making plans to expand downtown. The new campus will be officially named Texas A&M-Fort Worth.
What we know
In November 2021, the university signed a memorandum with Fort Worth and Tarrant County leaders, which outlines the estimated $350 million project.
A release from Texas A&M said Fort Worth leaders “are looking for help from a top research university to strengthen the area’s industrial and employment base,” citing stats that show nearly half of the 1.2 million adults in Tarrant County don’t have a college degree.
The 3.54-acre proposed redevelopment also ties into the planned $52 million renovation of the Fort Worth Convention Center. Once that begins, the city plans to straighten Commerce Street, freeing up land that could be used for the Texas A&M project.
What to expect
The TAMU System announced that Stantec will serve as the architect of record in partnership with design architect Pelli Clarke & Partners.
🏛️ Research and Innovation Center — Will be home to educational programs in fields like emergency response communication, medical technologies, manufacturing, nutrition + biotechnology.
📚 Education Alliance Building — Will house courses from several Texas A&M schools and Tarleton State University.
💼 New law school — Expected to be housed at 1515 Commerce St., the former Southwestern Bell call switching center. Texas A&M acquired the school from Texas Wesleyan University back in 2013.
Texas A&M has a full list of possible offerings at the new Fort Worth campus here.
The inner workings
In October 2022, Texas A&M and the city organized a financing plan that cuts the expected timeline nearly in half. The 10+ year construction plan for the three buildings has been reduced to 6-7 years with a special government corporation that will use bonds to finance the buildings.
In January 2023, the city council signed an interlocal agreement that will divide responsibilities and accelerate construction. The city will form a Local Government Corp., working with a developer to design, construct, lease and manage the Research and Innovation and Gateway Conference Center buildings. Meanwhile, the Texas A&M System will design and build the Law and Education building. The agreement will be presented to the TAMU Board of Regents in February.
What’s next
As for the timeline, the school plans to break ground on the first building in June 2023. The city’s request for proposals concluded in December 2022 and a developer will be announced early this year.
Mayor Mattie Parker said the new campus will help the city recruit new businesses + work with the ones already here. Gig ‘em Aggies.
