The Texas A&M University System announced that Texas A&M-Fort Worth broke ground on Wednesday, June 21 for their newest urban research campus via press release.
Construction began on the $150 million, eight-story Law & Education Building that will serve as the main base of operations for A&M’s School of Law, as well as other system schools such as Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Health and Tarleton State University.
The A&M System plans to construct two more campus buildings over four city blocks. The Research & Innovation Building will allow multiple A&M System agencies to work cooperatively with private sector tenants. The Gateway Building will contain classrooms, offices, meeting spaces and a conference center.
The Law & Education Building is planned to be completed by 2025, and construction is expected to be entirely completed for all three buildings by 2027.
In the press release, the new campus was described as “a first of its kind public-private collaboration intended to boost the regional economy while anchoring an innovation district in southeast downtown.”
The City of Fort Worth and Tarrant County are cooperating with the A&M System to continue construction.
“The Texas A&M System is building exactly what Fort Worth needs in this moment in our
History,” Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said. “This groundbreaking today represents countless future careers in law, medical technology, nursing and engineering, all of which are vital to meeting the need for a highly-skilled workforce in Fort Worth and North Texas for decades to come.”
Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare agreed that the project will be incredibly vital to the long-term success of the county, bringing multiple high-quality businesses to relocate to form partnerships with the university.
“It’s not often you break ground on one building while announcing potential tenants for a second building still on the drawing boards,” A&M System Chancellor John Sharp said in the press release. “It just demonstrates the commitment of the A&M System and our community partners to get this game-changer up and running quickly.”
At the ceremony, Lockheed Martin was announced as the first company to sign a memorandum of understanding to discuss developing joint education courses, workforce training and research programs. Additionally, both will further discuss the possibility of Lockheed researchers working with students, staff and faculty on campus.
A&M Class of 1989 and Lockheed Martin’s Vice President, Bridget Lauderdale, spoke at the ceremony.
“Lockheed Martin is proud to continue collaborating with Texas A&M University through this memorandum of understanding, establishing an additional talent pipeline of quality engineers in Fort Worth,” Lauderdale said. “Together, we will continue our joint, cutting-edge research to deliver innovative solutions for 21st Century security challenges, providing transformational capabilities in support of national security.”
Several companies, such as Elbit America and Alcon, are discussing possible roles at the campus, but they have yet to sign a memorandum as of Wednesday, according to John Goff, a chair of the Fort Worth-Tarrant County Innovation Partnership.
