{SA} Texas A&M - San Antonio

[texboy]

Couldn't find another thread for this one, so I thought I would start a new one!


Friday, May 23, 2008 - 10:41 AM CDT
Texas A&M could start development of San Antonio campus by 2009
San Antonio Business Journal

The Texas A&M University System expects to have development plans ready to review for the future Texas A&M University-San Antonio campus in August and ground should be broken on the campus as early as mid-2009.

A&M officials provided the update on the campus development before the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents at its regular bimonthly meeting this week.

Texas A&M University-Kingsville opened an extension campus in San Antonio in 2000. In 2003, however, the Texas Legislature authorized the creation of a stand-alone campus if the extension campus can reach an enrollment of at least 1,500 students. Enrollment currently stands at 1,021 students as of the spring 2008 semester.

"Students from the South Side of San Antonio can look forward to the same local access to higher education as is found in other parts of our great city," says Maria Hernandez Ferrier, executive director of the Texas A&M University-Kingsville System Center-San Antonio.

"With the rapid growth of the student population in the city, and the relatively limited four-year university options, Texas A&M-San Antonio will represent a significant expansion of academic opportunities. The people of San Antonio are so excited," Ferrier says.

Ferrier says that San Antonio's 18-to-24-year-old population is projected to increase by almost 20,000 by 2015. San Antonio is also the second largest city in Texas but only has one public institution of higher education.

A&M officials are eyeing a 694-acre site of land on San Antonio's South Side. Verano Land Group LP is the developer of the area surrounding the future site and has donated the land for the campus. Verano has plans for City South, an "integrated urban village" on about 2,700 acres along South Loop 410 bounded by Pleasanton Road and South Zarzamora Street. The campus would be surrounded by that mixed-use development. Verano has pledged $1 million toward the campus' development and has committed to help raising an additional $7 million for scholarships.

A&M System Chancellor Michael D. McKinney says that San Antonio architectural firm Marmon Mok has been selected to lead a professional team in preparing the campus development plan. Sasaki Associates, a nationally recognized planning firm with expertise in higher education, is also working on the Marmon Mok team.

The designers are currently working on a formalized development proposal that will be presented to A&M regents in College Station for final approval later this year.

The A&M System operates a statewide network of nine universities, seven state agencies and a health science center. The A&M System has a collective enrollment of more than 106,000 students.