Private nursing college West Coast University is moving to Richardson.

City Council members unanimously approved the organization's request for a special permit Sept. 23. The university plans to shutter its downtown Dallas campus before reopening in third quarter 2020 in the former Fossil headquarters at 2323 N. Central Expressway, according to Rob Koran, the university vice president of facilities and asset management.

West Coast University students can pursue a variety of undergraduate and graduate nursing and health care administration degrees in person or online. At full capacity, enrollment will total about 1,500 students, a third of whom will be housed off-site for clinical rotations, Koran said.

The university has over 70 partners in the Metroplex, including Baylor Scott & White, Cook’s Children and Methodist Hospital, Koran said at a Sept. 3 planning commission meeting.

Mayor Paul Voelker said any fears of a diploma mill were put to rest when he learned of the university's student loan default rate of less than 1%. The institution also has a 95% graduation rate, Koran said.

"I’m confident you will have people graduating with a high potential for jobs and coming out with manageable debt," Voelker said.