Downtown Fort Worth’s upcoming Texas A&M campus is starting to come together, with significant construction completed on the first of three buildings.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the first-of-its-kind urban research campus intended to boost the regional economy, will be the anchor of an innovation district in Fort Worth’s city center.
The construction currently underway is the site of the Law & Education Building, a $150 million, eight-story home for the Texas A&M School of Law, as well as other academic offerings by Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Health, and Tarleton State University.
Last year in June, when the project broke ground, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said the Texas A&M System “is building exactly what Fort Worth needs in this moment in our history.”
Here’s some of what the Fort Worth Report published on the progress of the Law & Education Building:
The risers and the floors are up on the first building that will make up the Texas A&M-Fort Worth’s three building campus, and plans for the second building — which could cost up to $260 million — are moving forward.
During its Aug. 1 meeting, the Texas A&M Board of Regents approved an interlocal agreement that will pave the way for the design of the second building, the Research and Innovation Building.
The building will be funded through an agreement with city and private sector partners, according to the college’s website. The agreement was not made public, and board members did not comment on the decision before the vote.
The Research and Innovation Building will be home to collaboration and research in many key sectors, including engineering, aerospace, defense and health sciences, among others. It will also include key Texas A&M research programs, including a transportation institute, engineering experiment station, AgriLife and the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
“Our state agencies bring a whole different dynamic to the campus, whether through research, workforce training or other services to the community and local businesses,” Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp said in a statement.