University of Texas System regents approved $149.5 million for UTA West as well as design plans for its first building during the board’s Feb. 19 meeting.
Construction is expected to begin on the building next month. Final completion is projected for May 2028. UTA announced in 2024 that it would build a new campus in Parker County.
The first building is intended to meet a variety of needs while also allowing flexibility, so its use can change as the campus grows, UTA President Jennifer Cowley told regents on Wednesday.
“The first building has to be everything,” she said. “It’s the library, the cafe, the classrooms, the academic labs. It’s a quite diverse building that’s going to be able to support the first set of students who are coming into the campus, and then as we build future buildings those will have more specialized expertise.”
The first building will be in the center of the campus and back up to a waterfront park. A courtyard in the back of the building will create a space to hold events or for students to learn, Cowley said.
A rendering of UTA West’s first building. (Courtesy | UTA)
Student services — such as admissions, financial aid and advising — will be located in the building.
Officials aim to enroll 1,000 students when classes begin in fall 2028. Regents granted approval to begin construction on roadways, sidewalks, parking lots and utilities such as electricity and water at their November meeting.
The new campus comes as Fort Worth and areas west of the city experience rapid growth. As officials plan academic offerings of the campus, they are considering the needs of the fast-changing region, Wayne Atchley, vice president for regional campuses, told the Report in December.
UTA officials are working with leaders from local community colleges and school districts to create pathways to the campus for students, Atchley said.
The campus is expected to have an economic impact of over $200 million during its first year, according to a news release.
“UTA West represents the kind of strategic investment that strengthens opportunity and economic growth in Texas,” UT System Chancellor John M. Zerwas said in the release. “This funding moves UT Arlington closer to expanding access to a leading research university and helping meet the workforce needs of North Texas.”
McKinnon Rice is the higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at mckinnon.rice@fortworthreport.org.
The Fort Worth Report partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.
The Report’s higher education coverage is supported in part by major higher education institutions in Tarrant County, including Tarleton State University, Tarrant County College, Texas A&M-Fort Worth, Texas Christian University, Texas Wesleyan University, the University of Texas at Arlington and UNT Health Science Center. Atthe Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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