The 200,000-square-foot Engineering and Computer Science West building is on schedule to be completed before the start of the fall 2018 semester.
Summer will usher in the University’s newest academic building along with strategic planning for future campus infrastructure.
“This is an exciting time for our University,” said Dr. Calvin Jamison, vice president for administration. “In addition to opening yet another outstanding facility to support STEAM education and research, we are working on a Campus Master Plan Update to support the University’s Strategic Plan and guide the infrastructure framework of our campus over the next several years.”
Campus Master Plan Update
UT Dallas is working with Page, a multidisciplinary architecture and engineering firm, to facilitate the process of updating the University’s Campus Master Plan. This update will include elements of the previous plans and input from the campus community, as well as members of neighboring cities. The final product is intended to be a useful and interactive guide to the future composition of the University’s campus.
An executive committee and working group are leading the management and development of this plan. The working group is tasked with coordinating the various elements of the campus and surrounding communities to obtain and share information. They will schedule an open forum to achieve this objective. They also will develop presentations in conjunction with Page to be made to the executive committee for their review and guidance. The executive committee will provide the direction for the content to be included in the draft Campus Master Plan Update, which will be presented to the UT System Board of Regents for approval. A draft is expected to be completed in September 2018.
Current and past plans can be viewed at utdallas.edu/masterplan. Input and suggestions may be submitted through the online comments form, or via email to MasterPlanComments@utdallas.edu.
Campus Construction
Parking Information
Parking and Transportation will conduct parking lot maintenance across campus throughout the summer.
Please check the parking website for announcements and a schedule of parking lot closures in the coming months. Updates will also be communicated to Building Liaisons, on Twitter @UTDallasParking and Parking Alert emails. All parking maintenance is expected to be complete before the fall semester.
The 200,000-square-foot Engineering and Computer Science West building is on schedule to be completed before the start of the fall 2018 semester. The building, which will primarily house the Department of Mechanical Engineering, will contain classrooms, research and teaching labs, faculty offices, student workspaces, and a 300-seat auditorium that will be named in honor of Dr. Alexander Clark, a former vice president of academic affairs and one-time acting president of the University. It also will include a retail grab-and-go food location, a third-floor student lounge with a balcony and a landscaped courtyard with seating to provide additional study and collaboration space.
Construction also continues on the 186,000-square-foot Science Building, located directly north of the Science Learning Center. The multistory building will house the Department of Physics, the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, and several classrooms, offices and teaching and research labs. It also will have 150-seat and 300-seat lecture halls, and an open courtyard with green space and seating areas. It is expected to open in spring 2020.
In addition, crews will enhance the southwest entrance to the Administration Building, renovate restrooms in the Erik Jonsson Academic Center and construct athletic concessions and restrooms near the soccer fields. The research and human resources offices also will gain additional space on the third floor of the Administration Building.
Additional Construction Near Campus
North of the main campus, developers are planning to open the second phase of Northside in August and are pre-leasing for the 2018-19 academic year. The complex will include 900 apartment beds and 6,600 square feet of retail space. In addition to Delish Bubble Tea, Jimmy Johns, Chopped Halal Grill and American Tap Room, the Northside Drafthouse and Eatery is now open. Pinto Urban Thai Diner and 7-Eleven are coming soon.
The city of Richardson will conduct roadwork around campus during the summer. Crews will increase the left turn lane by 500 feet at Campbell Road onto Waterview Parkway. Repairs are also scheduled for southbound Floyd Road to Campbell Road. Expect lane closures and detours in these areas.
City crews also are working to complete the extension of the University Trail around campus, starting at Waterview Parkway and Franklyn Jenifer Drive, going north to Synergy Park Boulevard, and turning east on the south side of Synergy Park Boulevard to meet the existing paths on Floyd Road. When completed, there will be an approximately 3 ½-mile paved path around the entire campus.
For more information about construction on or around campus, please visit the Pardon Our Progress website.
