FORT WORTH, Texas — Texas A&M University broke ground on an education building in Fort Worth Wednesday, the first of its new campus planned for the city.
Texas A&M-Fort Worth will be a three-building complex on the southeast side of downtown, where the Texas A&M University of Law is currently located.
The university said the goal is to have the eight-story, $150 million Law and Education facility finished by 2025.
Developer John Goff lead the effort to create a partnership with the A&M system in 2020 when Fort Worth was searching for a way to generate business despite the pandemic.
“We were the largest city in the nation without a Tier One research university," Goff said during Wednesday's groundbreaking. "This is going to be the center of innovation not only for Fort Worth but I think all of North Texas.”
The university has two more facilities planned for the campus: the Research and Innovation Building, which will bring together businesses and Texas A&M agencies, and the Gateway Building, which will have classrooms, meeting spaces and a conference center.
"Our goal is to spur business and job growth in one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities and throughout North Texas," Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp said in a statement. "This is a gamechanger for everyone involved."
Wednesday, Sharp announced Lockheed Martin has partnered with the school to create a workforce development program. Goff said defense company Elbit Systems of America and eye care company Alcon would be joining soon, too.
“There is so much momentum in Fort Worth, Texas and so much of that catalyst of course is higher education," Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said. "Thank you for recognizing that Fort Worth is worth investing in from Texas A&M’s presence here across our campuses.”
The campus is being financed by the university system, the city of Fort Worth, Tarrant County and private donators.
The new development is expected to anchor growth in southeastern downtown where an Omni expansion and convention center renovation are planned, and a 27-story high rise is close to completion.
“This could transform not only this part of downtown but all of downtown and ultimately the entire city," said Goff.
Texas A&M said it plans to have the entire campus completed by 2027.