Fort Worth, Tarrant County Leaders Celebrate Texas A&M announcement to expand in Downtown Fort Worth

Fort Worth, Tarrant County leaders celebrate Texas A&M announcement to expand in Downtown Fort Worth

Plans include hub for industry collaboration, new law school

FORT WORTH, Texas — Today, Fort Worth and Tarrant County government and business leaders and Texas A&M University System officials announced plans for Texas A&M System’s Urban Campus in Fort Worth, a new research campus to spur innovation and business development in downtown Fort Worth.

The vision for the Texas A&M System’s Urban Campus in Fort Worth includes a Texas A&M System Research and Innovation Center, Education Alliance Building and new, state-of-the art Law School. For more details on Texas A&M University’s announcement and artist’s renderings of the proposed buildings, visit tamus.edu/ft-worth [outdated link].

“The A&M System is making a Texas-sized commitment to Fort Worth,” Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said. “Welcome to Aggieland North.”

As the leaders of the fastest growing large city in the nation and the 15^th largest county in the U.S., Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley see the announcement as a win for both the city and the county.

Mayor Parker said the city’s efforts to capitalize on economic development opportunities and develop the workforce of tomorrow. Texas A&M’s plans also coincide with the City of Fort Worth’s intentions to expand and modernize the neighboring Fort Worth Convention Center, a project that is expected to begin in the next few years.

“Fort Worth is the ideal landing place for Texas A&M to expand its brand and anchor a hub for innovation. Our city is ready to be the home of these opportunities for life-changing workforce development and world-changing research,” said Mayor Parker, “I am proud to be working with these forward-thinking leaders whose creativity and pioneering spirit will lead Fort Worth into a future of reaching its full potential. It is truly go time in Fort Worth, and the role that this project will have in the revitalization of the Fort Worth convention center district to spur business and job growth is a prime example of that.”

Judge Whitley said the announcement of a downtown campus is a continuation of a long-standing relationship with Texas A&M.

“The significance of having a Tier 1 Research University located in the urban core of Tarrant County cannot be overstated,” said Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley. “Tarrant County has enjoyed a great partnership with Texas A&M through the Law School, AgriLife Extension, and emergency management, and I am very excited about the University’s further commitment to downtown Fort Worth and Tarrant County. Together, Tarrant County and Texas A&M will lift each other to new heights.”

The announcement is the result of joint efforts between the Texas A&M University System, the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County and Fort Worth Now. A memorandum outlining the aspirations for the Texas A&M System’s Urban Campus in Fort Worth was signed last week by representatives of each group.

“I think that it’s important that Texas A&M University have an urban presence and I am glad that they picked Fort Worth and Tarrant County for that urban presence,” said Tarrant County Precinct 1 Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks, "I look forward to working with the university to help integrate them into it into the fabric of Fort Worth in general and downtown Fort Worth in particular. I think their presence will help solidify downtown as an educational incubator. I’m especially interested in the synergies between Texas A&M, Tarrant County College and the Young Women’s Leadership Academy, all of which are located in downtown Fort Worth. I’m hopeful we’ll see a sharing of resources and facilities. Texas A&M plans to partner with businesses in developing a center for innovation to develop new jobs and new entities. It’s a good thing all around for Fort Worth and Tarrant County.”

Former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price’s Fort Worth Now initiative played a large role in the announcement coming to fruition. Fort Worth Now is a privately-funded economic recovery and growth strike force launched in May 2020 in an effort to lead Fort Worth’s post-COVID response to stabilize and restore local businesses, while strategically targeting growth opportunities to advance Fort Worth’s economy.

“This is a big deal, and I know we have a lot of proud local Aggies who are excited about this news. We are too. A&M has been a fantastic partner to the people of Fort Worth and Tarrant County. This latest announcement is just another example—and it’s a credit not only to the A&M leadership’s vision but to the Fort Worth Now initiative that we created to seize opportunities exactly like this. We’re grateful for A&M’s continued commitment to grow Aggie Nation right here in our community,” said former Mayor Price.

When former Mayor Price launched Fort Worth Now, she tapped business leaders John Goff and Elaine Agather to co-chair the initiative.

"When Mayor Price asked Elaine Agather and me to co-chair Fort Worth Now, we recognized the need not only to assist with the immediate impacts of the pandemic, but more importantly, to help build the Fort Worth economy of the future,” said Goff, “I have enjoyed working closely with Texas A&M and Chancellor Sharp for more than a year, to expand their presence here in Fort Worth. Today’s announcement will lead to an expansive urban campus, building on the success of the Law School in ways that will not only transform downtown but be a game changer for our city. It will help attract young talent, educate our work force, bring innovation to the city, and foster collaboration with many of our locally based companies on new technologies. Texas A&M is uniquely positioned to advance those goals, as not only a Tier-1 research institute, but with the multiple critical Texas state agencies that operate under its auspices."