LBJ Student Center Expansion Plans Approved By Board Of Regents

The Texas State University System Board of Regents has approved the design development documents for the LBJ Student Center expansion at Texas State University…

SAN MARCOS – The Texas State University System Board of Regents has approved the design development documents for the LBJ Student Center expansion at Texas State University. 

The board approved the documents during its quarterly meeting February 15 at Lamar University in Beaumont.

The project, designed by Atkins Architects of Austin, has an estimated cost of approximately $31 million, with funding coming from new Texas State University System revenue bonds. Vaughn Construction of San Antonio has been selected to manage the project. Construction will begin in spring 2018 and substantial completion is expected by spring 2020.

The existing LBJ Student Center will expand by more than 22,000 square feet, but additional upgraded finishes will result in a new total area of more than 50,000 square feet of usable space.

The expansion will include a new main entry lobby, an additional ballroom, conference rooms and meeting spaces, shared spaces for informal student gatherings and study spaces, and a new multi-cultural area. The expanded student center will also feature an upgraded Welcome Center incorporating an office suite for Alumni Relations.

The project is driven by recent growth in the Texas State student body and the ensuing need for more meeting spaces. When the LBJ Student Center opened in 1998, the university’s enrollment was 21,000 students.

Since that time, Texas State’s enrollment has nearly doubled. The expansion will help address growing demand and ensure the student center remain a vibrant, active and engaging facility that represents Texas State’s commitment to supporting student development. 

The Texas State University System Board of Regents is the governing body for Texas’ oldest university system, which comprises eight institutions: Lamar University; Sam Houston State University; Texas State University; Sul Ross State University; Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College; Lamar Institute of Technology; Lamar State College-Orange; and Lamar State College-Port Arthur.

Founded in 1899, Texas State University is among the largest universities in Texas with an enrollment of 38,694 students on campuses in San Marcos and Round Rock. Texas State’s 181,000-plus alumni are a powerful force in serving the economic workforce needs of Texas and throughout the world.

Designated an Emerging Research University by the State of Texas, Texas State is classified under “Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity,” the second-highest designation for research institutions under the Carnegie classification system.