Fort Worth city council approved an interlocal agreement with the University of Texas at Arlington Aug. 27 to help fund infrastructure development for the recently announced UTA West campus located 12 miles west of downtown Fort Worth.

The details

According to a city news release, Fort Worth will provide $4 million from the Economic Development Initiatives Fund distributed in the following manner:

• One payment of $2 million after the formal execution of the interlocal agreement
• One payment of $2 million will serve as reimbursement after all infrastructure improvements have been completed

UTA West will be the third UTA campus in Fort Worth, alongside UTA Fort Worth Center and the UTA Research Institute.

Zooming in

According to the news release, the first phase of development will consist of the following:

• Up to five buildings totaling approximately 930,000 square feet
• Additional parking structures
• Other associated infrastructure

The news release states UTA officials expect the full campus to encompass 1.5 million square feet, which will support up to nine buildings and 12,000 students.

What they’re saying

“With our strong alumni base here and through the UTA Fort Worth Center, UTA Research Institute and our many partnerships, UTA is a top supplier of talent to many companies across Fort Worth,” UTA President Jennifer Cowley said. “UTA West expands our decades-long partnership with Fort Worth and will help meet the future educational needs of one of the fastest-growing cities in the country.”

“UTA West is not only an incredible investment in Fort Worth, but a catalyst that will have broad-reaching impacts across the entire region,” said Robert Sturns, director of economic development for the City of Fort Worth. “We look forward to working with UTA in the years ahead to cultivate local talent pipelines in and around this growing part of our city.”