Texas State University is considering a 16,000-square-foot expansion to its Science, Technology and Research, or STAR, Park, which opened in November 2012. STAR Park, which acts as an incubator for technology firms, has five tenants including Quantum Materials Corporation, National Nanomaterials, Micropower Global, SMRS and Petaomics. Juan Guerra, associate vice president of facilities, said the university is planning an $8 million addition to STAR Park, which sits on 38 acres at the intersection of Hunter Road and McCarty Road. Those plans will be reviewed by the university's board of regents in late August and again in February, when site design is expected to be completed, he said. "It's going to be pretty much the same construction type as far as materials and look and finishes. The interior configuration is going to be slightly different. We're going to provide more lab space and more meeting space, as per [STAR Park Executive Director Stephen] Frayser's request," Guerra said. Guerra said if the board of regents approves the design in February, construction could start as early as summer 2015 and be complete in time for the spring 2016 semester. Frayser said the growth of the incubator has not surprised him. San Marcos' location between San Antonio and Austin has made it an attractive location for companies in both cities, he said. "We have the only available laboratory space that can be used by startup companies in Central Texas," he said. "Folks are out looking for it. We have done no marketing, and it got snapped up as soon as it was available with what looked like some promising opportunities." Frayser, who previously managed the University of Nebraska's tech incubator, said the aim of incubators such as STAR Park is to help businesses reach "critical mass," then expand to a larger facility outside of the incubator. STAR Park has 38 acres to accommodate any such expansion, Frayser said. "If you think about it, the talent that made the company attractive resides here and typically doesn't want to move," Frayser said. "The chances are they'll stay in the area." Adriana Cruz, president of the Greater San Marcos Partnership, the organization responsible for economic development in Hays and Caldwell counties, said STAR Park has added a significant asset to the region's economy. "Part of our job is to let [companies] know and get the word out that we've got this great Ph. D program, we've got equipment you can't find anywhere else, and we've got the systems in place and the partnerships in place to help you commercialize your technology and your product," Cruz said.