Sam Houston State University hosted the official groundbreaking Nov. 16 for its new College of Osteopathic Medicine, which is scheduled to admit its first class August 2020. The college will be situated on 7.3 acres in Johnson Development Corp.'s master-planned community, Grand Central Park. SHSU has been working on the college proposal since 2015 to meet the needs of the medically underserved East Texas region. According to SHSU officials, the college will collaborate with hospitals in rural East Texas counties to establish residency-training programs and already has confirmed affiliation agreements with hospitals. The college’s plans feature a five-story, 216,000-square-foot building. Phase one includes 108,000 square feet of construction with surface parking, and phase two plans will add another 108,000 square feet and a parking garage.