The University of Texas System announced March 1 that it will not be moving forward with a 300-acre research campus in southwest Houston.

System Chancellor William McRaven said he will recommend to the board of regents that the UT System real estate office create a plan to divest the land that it purchased in 2015. There is no timeline for the divestment of the land, he said.

The system was unable to create a shared vision with stakeholders, such as civic leaders in Houston and state legislators, McRaven said.

“I accept full responsibility for the lack of progress on this initiative," he said. "It was distracting and overshadowing the work under way on the other 14 campuses of the UT System."

The system purchased more than 300 acres for $220 million near the Texas Medical Center and created an advisory task force to help determine a direction for the campus. It was being planned as an institute for data science with specialties in health care, education and energy.

However, the plan was criticized by the University of Houston and local legislators. UT's $220 million purchase of land in Houston was scrutinized in January because legislators were not given any notice about the plans for the campus.

State Sen. Boris Miles, D-Houston, whose district includes the land acquisition, said he is in favor of UT's decision to divest the land.

"My greatest concern regarding the UT land deal has always been about the nontransparent method by which the land was acquired and by the system's inconsistent explanations for how the land was to be used," Miles said in a statement. "I am encouraged that UT listened to the voices of concern and decided to pull the plug on proceeding with the Houston development. I understand UT will now sell the land gradually to an entity or entities that will bring economic development and jobs to the surrounding community."