TXST University Receives Approval From Regents On New Campus Master Plan

The Science and Engineering neighborhood, focused on Bruce and Gloria Ingram Hall, with the Roy F. Mitte Building and Supple Science Building, will foster integration…

SAN MARCOS – The Texas State University System Board of Regents has approved a new Campus Master Plan for Texas State University that is designed to guide development through the year 2027.

The board approved the Campus Master Plan during its quarterly meeting August 17 in Alpine.

The plan was prepared by the firm SmithGroupJJR of Detroit, Michigan. It was developed during months of meetings with students, faculty and staff and open forums and presentations to the Texas State and San Marcos communities.

The plan encompasses the main San Marcos campus as well as the Round Rock Campus and the Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Park. The blueprint for the future identifies projects over the next 10 years that will support the university’s efforts toward attaining National Research University status.

The plan also includes a long-term vision that identifies sites for academic buildings and residence halls that can be considered beyond 2027.

Early in the master planning process, central themes were identified that would serve as guiding principles during the development of the plan. Those themes were:

• Increasing academic capacity
• Increasing research capacity
• Enhancing the student experience
• Strengthening pedestrian corridors
• Augmenting campus support and infrastructure
• Building a sense of place

More than 25 acres were identified on the San Marcos campus that would allow for substantial near-term redevelopment within the university’s existing footprint. This potential redevelopment is centered on three campus districts within a 10-minute walk of the academic core:

• The Performing Arts neighborhood, anchored by the existing Performing Arts Center, will be enhanced with a new Music Building and additional undergraduate housing. The Performing Arts Center will expand to accommodate a third performance venue, plus teaching and practice space.

• The Science and Engineering neighborhood, focused on Bruce and Gloria Ingram Hall (expected completion in 2018), Roy F. Mitte Building and Supple Science Building, will foster integration of the physical sciences and engineering disciplines.

• The Hilltop neighborhood will undergo the most dramatic redevelopment as a vibrant, mixed-use area. Two new residence halls will replace the existing, outdated, Burleson and Hornsby Halls on the Hilltop.

• An academic and research building will accommodate an interdisciplinary environment, as well as general classrooms and teaching and research laboratories. Upon completion of the new Music Building in the Performing Arts neighborhood, a second academic and research building will be developed on the former Music Building site.

• The Round Rock Campus will see significant growth under the new plan, expanding to frame the mall with the completion of Willow Hall, Esperanza Hall and one additional building. This will enable the Round Rock Campus to become a focal point for health professions education, with the College of Health Professions completing its migration from San Marcos upon the opening of Esperanza Hall.

• STAR Park will see the addition of two new facilities, a multi-tenant research building and an Infrastructure Research Laboratory. Both new buildings will be located near STAR One to take advantage of shared services and create indoor/outdoor places for collaboration.

• The buildings will be oriented along a pedestrian-centric “main street” to create an urban block-based plan for STAR Park, utilizing the existing natural drainage as a centrally-located amenity from which pedestrian walks and green corridors emanate.

For more information on the Campus Master Plan, visit masterplan.fss.txstate.edu.