The University of Texas System Board of Regents voted yesterday to fund the first academic building at UTA West, clearing a key hurdle for construction of UT Arlington’s new satellite campus on the far western edge of Fort Worth. The move opens the door for work on the initial facility and core infrastructure that university leaders say will pull a full-scale research university closer to the fast-growing communities near Aledo.
According to UTA, the vote moves the project into its second phase, following the regents’ approval last November of funding for site preparation, utilities and parking. The UT System has pegged UTA West’s first-year economic impact at more than $200 million. “This investment marks a defining moment for our university and the region we proudly serve,” UTA President Jennifer Cowley said in the release.
Where it will sit
The campus is planned for roughly 51 acres inside the Walsh Ranch development near the I-20/I-30 interchange close to Aledo, an area developers have billed as the western gateway to the metroplex, according to Fort Worth Inc. Planners and developers see UTA West as the anchor that can help pull in more housing, retail and service jobs to a corner of the region that has been adding rooftops and residents at a rapid clip.
Timeline and scale
UTA West materials say the first academic building, along with the initial roads and utilities, is designed to serve about 1,000 students when the campus opens. Over time, the site is planned to grow in phases to handle more than 10,000 students at full buildout, with the first class still projected to arrive in fall 2028. The phased approach means additional academic and research space will roll out as enrollment increases and partner demand picks up.
Groundbreaking and price tag
UTA held a ceremonial groundbreaking at the site on April 3, 2025, according to the Fort Worth Report, and has been advancing site work and infrastructure planning since. Local reporting has pegged the total project cost at roughly $150 million, an amount spread out across multiple phases of infrastructure and buildings; that estimate was reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Who’s building it and why it matters
UTA has selected HKS as lead architect and Hensel Phelps as the design-builder for the first facility, a team chosen to interpret the former ranchland setting while signaling the university’s research ambitions, Fort Worth Inc reports. Local economic development leaders say UTA West is expected to help keep more graduates in the area and supply trained workers for manufacturers, logistics companies and tech employers as Parker County and west Fort Worth continue to grow…