Student housing headed to A&M’s West Campus

COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M University has set its sights on West Campus housing. A new project, planned for partial completion by 2015, will add 4,200 new beds to on-campus living and aims to provide enough space to house an entire A&M freshmen class.

The West Campus Housing Project will be built on 46 acres along University Dr. where the Howdy Farm is currently located, near the intersection with Discovery Dr. A&M officials expect the construction to cost around $225 million.

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents have approved ground leases to allow private developers access to university land. The negotiations, new to Texas A&M, would allow private companies to use their own capital to construct project.

Through the public-private partnership, the university would retain control of room rates, assignments and programming elements for the West Campus Housing Project.

The 640-bed Hullabaloo Hall, on the north side of campus, was the first residence hall constructed since the 1980s. “11 Hullabaloo Halls would fit in [the new housing] site,” said Thomas Kosarek, principle with BGK Architects. “Either that, or [Simpson] Drill Field and Academic Plaza.”

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