District Planning
The district planning initiative is a long-term planning effort that supports UTSA’s ongoing growth and continued development in San Antonio’s urban core, while also exploring space utilization at the Main Campus and Park West. District planning helps ensure students, faculty and staff have the academic, research and infrastructure support necessary for success.
District planning is an important part of UTSA’s campus master planning efforts, which began in 2019. The master plan serves as a roadmap to guide the university’s strategic growth, and district planning efforts will continue this important work. By engaging the entire Roadrunner community, district planning will ensure the vision for growth is in alignment with institutional goals as we strive to fulfil our academic mission.
District planning will address a wide variety of needs, including:
- Academic classrooms and research facilities
- Athletic and recreational facilities
- Infrastructure and safety
- Partnership opportunities to expand programs such as Backpacks and Briefcases and Classroom to Careers
- Revenue development opportunities
- Student housing and parking
- Student Success
- Sustainability
Through planning for long-term growth, district planning will also advance academic excellence, promote economic growth and amplify workforce development in San Antonio.
Engaging the Community
District planning will engage the full UTSA community. Led by the office of Real Estate and Property Management, the process will include close partnership with the academic colleges to learn more about space and infrastructure needs, as well as opportunities for the broader campus community to provide feedback.
Downtown Development
Looking to the future, efforts to develop the Downtown Campus will continue to play a major role in the university’s growth and campus planning vision. Over the past five years, UTSA has doubled its acreage in downtown San Antonio through a variety of milestones:
- Integration with the Southwest School of Art
- Opening of San Pedro I
- Approval to purchase One Riverwalk Place
- Development of San Pedro II
UTSA continues to make these significant investments downtown to advance the university’s mission to develop career-ready graduates aligned with regional workforce needs.
Main Campus and Park West
Equally important in the coming years will be a focus on space utilization at the Main Campus and Park West. As enrollment has increased, new infrastructure has been developed to support the needs of the Roadrunner community:
- The Science and Engineering Building
- The Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence
- Guadalupe Hall
- Blanco Hall (in development)
- Park West Fieldhouse
- Student Success Center
- UT Health at Kyle Seale facility
Enrollment is anticipated to grow over the coming years alongside research expenditures, and the Real Estate and Property Management team will evaluate needs at the Main Campus and Park West to ensure there is adequate infrastructure to support demand.
Merger with UT Health San Antonio
In August 2024, the UT System Board of Regents announced plans to merge UTSA and UT Health San Antonio. The Real Estate and Property Management team will work in close collaboration with UTSA and UT Health partners to ensure adequate space needs as the two institutions integrate.
Timeline
District planning will launch with three phases, beginning with a feedback period in fall 2024, review and analysis in late fall and early spring, and finalization of district plans in summer 2025.
What is the difference between the Campus Master Plan and District Planning?
UTSA’s district planning initiative is a plan to guide the university’s strategic growth, building on the existing Campus Master Plan and meeting the institution’s enrollment goals. The initiative aims to expand UTSA’s academic and research capacities while exploring new opportunities for growth and partnerships that foster career-engaged learning.
What are the intended outcomes of this initiative?
While this plan projects long-term growth, it also impacts short-term institutional investment decisions, advances academic excellence, promotes socioeconomic vibrancy in surrounding communities and amplifies workforce development for the city of San Antonio. This initiative aims to support an engaging university culture that enhances the student, faculty and staff experience.
What is the engagement process and who are stakeholder groups?
District planning will engage the full UTSA community. Led by the office of Real Estate and Property Management, the process includes close partnerships and collaborative efforts to learn more about space and infrastructure needs. The team is meeting with and seeking feedback from academic colleges, support services, students and external stakeholders in the broader community.
How does the integration with UT Health San Antonio affect district planning?
In August 2024, the UT System Board of Regents announced plans to merge UTSA and UT Health San Antonio. The Real Estate and Property Management team is working with UTSA and UT Health partners to identify opportunities for collaboration as a new, larger institution.
When will the campus community learn about the results of the district planning initiative?
In summer 2025, the Real Estate and Property Management team will release a report that relays their findings and recommendations resulting from this process. The report will include information about each phase of the process, key takeaways from stakeholder feedback, initial and refined scenarios, future plans and tentative timelines, next steps and more.
When will other departments know if they are relocating?
The district planning process is currently underway with a final report planned in summer 2025. We will share more information at that time about areas that will be relocating in the coming years.
How do budget considerations impact district planning?
District planning’s purpose is to prepare us for a thriving future, and our process is guided by the same principles and focus as the university at large: exploring ways to best position our institution to make strategic investments that will both prepare us for the evolving federal landscape and support our new integrated institution.
Will support services be expanded at downtown locations?
An important goal of district planning is to create a comprehensive campus experience at our downtown locations. As part of the district planning process, a review of essential services will be conducted to ensure a great experience is provided to our downtown students, faculty staff and visitors.
Will more core classes be offered downtown for students enrolled in programs mostly or fully located downtown?
The district planning team is exploring options to ensure that core curriculum courses are offered at UTSA’s downtown locations. The long-term goal is to enable students to complete all degree requirements without needing to travel between the Main and Downtown campuses unless they choose to do so.
