The University of Texas System Board of Regents has approved spending nearly $94.4 million for construction of a 150,000 square-foot facility, the first building at The University of Texas at Arlington West in far west Fort Worth.
Chron.com reports that an additional $55.1 million was approved for design services, fixed equipment and project management.
The university says the 51-acre campus is being developed on the western edge of Fort Worth near Aledo, close to the intersection of interstates 20 and 30. UTA West is projected to welcome its inaugural class in fall 2028.
UTA West is being developed to grow alongside rapid population expansion in west Fort Worth and Parker County. From 2020 to 2024, Parker County’s population increased 19.4%, making it the third-fastest-growing county in Texas.
Construction is expected to begin on the building next month. Final completion is projected for May 2028. UTA announced in 2024 that it would build a new campus in Parker County.
The Fort Worth Report says the first building is intended to meet a variety of needs while also allowing flexibility, so its use can change as the campus grows, UTA President Jennifer Cowley said.
“The first building has to be everything,” she said. “It’s the library, the cafe, the classrooms, the academic labs. It’s a quite diverse building that’s going to be able to support the first set of students who are coming into the campus, and then as we build future buildings those will have more specialized expertise.”
The University of Texas at Arlington, in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth, has over 42,700 students and is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System.
