This story originally appeared on Houston Public Media.
Renderings for the 300-acre facility show a sprawling campus with lots of green space.
University of Texas Chancellor William McRaven announced the plans at a recent board meeting. He says the development will expand UT’s presence to the state’s largest and most diverse city.
“This effort will be decades in the making but will help drive our system to the very top tier in the nation, while at the same time allowing us to build partnerships with industry and the other great academic institutions in the area,” McRaven says.
He said the property won’t serve as another satellite school for UT, but after that, the possibilities are wide open. The campus will be located about four miles from the Texas Medical Center, and that idea has been well-received.
The Texas Medical Center’s chief strategy officer Bill McKeon said UT’s presence in Houston will make it easier to collaborate on research.
“In the case of the Medical Center, it’s really becoming the epicenter for the life sciences and innovation, and this will just further advance that cause,” McKeon says.
Chancellor McRaven said he plans to convene a task force early next year to begin making plans for development.
