DALLAS — Tarleton State University, part of the Texas A&M University System, plans to build a new Fort Worth campus on 80 acres donated by an international real estate investment firm.
University officials and representatives of the Walton Group of Companies announced the plan in Fort Worth on Dec. 8.
Based in Stephenville, about 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth, Tarleton has offered programs in Fort Worth since 1978.
Tarleton will seek $55 million of state funding for a building on the new campus during the upcoming legislative session, officials said.
The land donated by the Walton Group borders the new Chisholm Trail Parkway, a toll road developed by the North Texas Tollway Authority. NTTA and the city of Fort Worth will be partners in the new campus project, officials said.
"The strategic location of the new Tarleton campus is a catalyst for development in Southwest Fort Worth and a tremendous benchmark for our future success in high quality education," Fort Worth Councilman Jungus Jordan said in a prepared statement.
Based in Calgary, Alberta, Walton is a multinational real estate firm that specializes in developing land in major North American growth corridors. Walton has more than 25,000 acres of land under administration and 18 master-planned communities in Texas, the company said.
Walton recently acquired two properties in Tarrant County, including 268 acres in the Chisholm Trail Ranch Master Plan for residential development adjacent to the proposed Tarleton State campus.
"The new Tarleton campus will be a part of one of Walton's newest master plans in Tarrant County, and we look forward to continuing to work together to create a vibrant community where people live, work and play," said Walton chief executive Bill Doherty.
With the legislative approval, construction could start by the first quarter of 2015.
