The University Campus Facilities Committee met March 28 to discuss the status of current campus construction projects and the future of ideas currently under review.
The committee focused on the lengthy construction process, the need for increased support services and current issues which the Office of Facilities and Economic Development seeks to overcome with new construction. With the completion of the first phase of the Athenaeum and ongoing work on the new student success center and student union complex, also known as “Big Momma,” UTD will soon be at its maximum capacity for utilities unless more infrastructure is built to support the already over-capacity campus.
The committee, chaired by physics professor Bing Lv, includes Calvin Jamison, vice president for facilities and economic development, Matt Grief, associate vice president for housing, Jeremy Head, associate vice president for facilities and Bob Fishbein, associate vice president of operations and economic development. March 28 is the first official meeting of the committee since its members were appointed last September.
The most immediate changes current Comets will experience are developments around “Big Momma” and the Athenaeum. Jamison said that “Big Momma” construction is progressing rapidly; the building is still on track to be completed in late 2026 with an opening tentatively planned for 2027. Jamison said the completion of the Crow Museum as the first phase of the Athenaeum has helped redefine UTD as a school that values art, and the continued development of the second-phase performance hall will only further this notion.
“We are working on transforming how the public views our school, and this is part of our goal to put the A in STEAM,” Jamison said.
Jamison said that campus infrastructure needs increased support and funding. While UTD has over 29,000 students enrolled, the Office of Facilities and Economic Development said in the committee meeting that the campus only has the space and resources to accommodate 27,000 students each day. Jamison said the current set up for the campus energy plant requires campus-wide shut downs to address what could otherwise be isolated issues, and that the work going on near Sirius Hall is part of a plan to address the aging infrastructure and allow isolated shut downs, with a planned end date in mid–May.
To keep up with the campus’ utility demands, Jamison said a north utility plant will need to be created before any more construction can continue, because without it UTD cannot adequately service all of its buildings. Jamison said the campus has just enough capacity for its current construction programs.
“While a north utility plant is not funded, we are getting the design and programming started because that facility will be required before we bring on any additional projects on campus,” Jamison said.
Grief, representing UTD Housing, said his office was in the earliest stages of programming for a 1,000-bed apartment complex planned to be built in the Lot T area north of Vega Hall. Grief said that because students have “a strong demand for privacy,” the complex would have single bedrooms like the rest of UTD’s on-campus housing.
“We find that many of the apartment complexes near campus are out of the reach of some of our students, so we hope to provide this new affordable option by fall of 2028 based on current projections,” Grief said.
Grief said that the apartment complex would aim to have more affordable prices than what is offered by private entities like Northside, and it would include new retail locations for students on the first floor. Because the complex is still in the early stages of planning, Grief said no official timeline is currently available for the project.
Jamison said that UTD was also considering building a new mixed-use science building to accommodate the high demand for research and instructional labs on campus. He said the current plan is to construct a four-story research building with a basement, using the ground floor as instructional lab space with the rest of the floors reserved for research labs.
Jamison said most of the buildings UTD has planned are on a funding waiting list based on need, and that sometimes projects such as the Athenaeum could jump the line if donors provided gifts specifically for their construction. As funding comes in, more buildings will be constructed to meet campus needs.
“Bottom line is that you can do anything with enough money,” Jamison said.
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Comets hopeful, concerned about UTD residential project aiming to house 1,000 students – The Retrograde
[…] the university begins planning to build a new 1,000-bed apartment complex on the current site of Lot T, University Housing emailed […]