A private health care college is set to open in Richardson later this year after City Council unanimously approved a special permit April 27.
Casa Loma College, a nonprofit health care college based out of Los Angeles, offers accelerated hybrid programs for students to earn a health care degree, ranging from associate to master’s, in under two years, city planner Christine Ross said.
The overview
Casa Loma College requested a special permit from the city to open its first Texas campus in a multitenant office building at 1202 Richardson Drive.
The college’s programs include nursing, medical imaging, physical therapy, business administration and health care management, and combine classroom instruction with hands-on lab and simulation training. Tuition will be approximately $40,000 for a two-year degree, said Skye Thibodeaux, director of land planning with Mission Ridge Consultants, which represents Casa Loma.
“We feel like this is a great adaptive reuse of vacant space in an office building,” Thibodeaux said.
The total enrollment is expected to reach 450 students, but student attendance will be staggered throughout the week. According to a traffic study, the college is not expected to have a significant impact on traffic, Thibodeaux said.
The City Plan Commission unanimously recommended approval of the special permit April 7.
Looking ahead
Thibodeaux said the college will support workforce development in Richardson for health and technical fields and help to address nursing shortages.
Casa Loma plans to open with a phased occupancy plan, Thibodeaux said, establishing initial operations with a smaller student body in currently vacant tenant space in June. The program will gradually expand next year, with plans to reach full buildout and enrollment by 2028.
