Regents approve Campus Master Plan update

Posted by University News Service

Nov. 18, 2011

The Board of Regents of the Texas State University System has approved an updated Campus Master Plan for Texas State University.

The university’s 2006-20015 Campus Master Plan was approved by the regents in May 2005, but since that time, Texas State has experienced an aggressive building period and more than 67 percent of the projects in the 10-year plan have been completed or are in progress.

Some of the completed projects include several parking garages, the Student Recreation Center Addition, renovations to academic space, the first phase of the Bobcat Stadium expansion and the Concho Green.

Some projects currently under way include the Undergraduate Academic Center, the Performing Arts Center, phases 2 and 3 of the Bobcat Stadium expansion and the north student housing complex.

The Campus Master Plan update involves a more detailed focus on transportation, parking, student housing, utilities and communications.

Recommendations in the new five-year Master Plan include renovations of the Alkek Library Learning Commons, the Psychology Building, Brogdon and Commons halls, the Theater Center, the Aqua Sports Center, Jowers Center and the roof and exterior of Old Main.

The plan calls for the demolition of San Saba and Canyon halls, the West Warehouse, the Comanche Hill and Campus Colony apartment complexes, Hornsby/Burleson/Arnold halls and Sterry Hall.

The plan recommends new student housing complexes at the San Saba/Canyon sire, the UPACC site and the Hornsby/Burleson site. It also includes a new Engineering and Science Building, a new Music Building, an Alumni Visitor Center and an addition to the Cogen Plant.

The plan includes several transportation and parking projects designed to help students, faculty, staff and visitors reach their destinations easily and maintain a safe environment for driving, walking, riding a bus, parking or biking.

The plan calls for the continued practice of removing surface parking where possible and replacing those parking spaces with conveniently located parking garages. This will create a network of green open spaces and new building footprints.

The original Master Plan Update had called for partial realignment of the Texas State Golf Course to allow for the construction of an Aquarena Springs Drive overpass. However, a new overpass design from the Texas Department of Transportation eliminates the need for the golf course realignment and renovation and that part of the plan was deleted before presentation to the regents.

In approving the Campus Master Plan update, the regents authorized Texas State to submit the plan to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board at a future date.

The TSUS Board of Regents met Thursday and Friday, Nov. 17 and 18, on the campus of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.

The Texas State University System is governed by a nine member Board of Regents appointed by the Governor. In addition, a nonvoting student regent is appointed annually to the Board. The Texas State University System is the oldest multi-campus system in Texas and plays a critical role in the educational and economic development of the state. Its eight component institutions are Texas State University-San Marcos, Lamar University, Sam Houston 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.