Tarleton State University
FORT WORTH CAMPUS Concept Master Plan
June 2015
Tarleton State University FORT WORTH CAMPUS Concept Master Plan All Contents Copyright 2015 Broaddus Planning. All Rights Reserved.
From the President
June 2015 I am pleased to present this Development Plan as a vision for a campus that will someday create a vibrant, life-long learning environment for the citizens of Fort Worth and surrounding communities. This new campus will one day become a reality because of a generous donation of 80 acres of land along the new Chisholm Trail Parkway by the Walton Group, coupled with strong support from the City of Fort Worth, North Texas Tollway Authority, The Texas A&M University System, community and business leaders, and state legislators. These groups, together with the community at large, are looking to Tarleton to meet a growing need for public higher education in the Southwest Metroplex. Tarleton has had a presence in Fort Worth for many years. Using leased facilities up to this point, we have seen an annual growth rate of 10-20% in enrollment over the last decade. We have expanded our degree offerings and added new programs, established new student services, and developed new partnerships with area community colleges, health care providers, and businesses. Tarleton is the only public university offering bachelor’s level degrees as well as many master’s degrees and a doctoral degree in the city. This Development Plan for Tarleton State University’s Fort Worth Campus has been prepared with the help of Broaddus Planning and input gathered from stakeholder representatives, steering committees, advisory committees, and workshops. Extensive research was done to understand the current and future needs of learning landscapes, anticipated enrollment growth, student demographics and educational needs, landscape and building requirements, transportation access, and fit with the surrounding community’s planned development. I am thankful to the many participants that truly made a difference in conceptualizing the plan while being mindful of Tarleton’s culture and its aspirations. This document will guide future decisions on a new, permanent campus for buildings and facilities for academics, student life, recreation, research, parking, open spaces, and general infrastructure. It will accommodate the consolidation of all Fort Worth-based academic programs at one location. A few years from today when people ask for directions to Tarleton State University’s Fort Worth Campus they may be told to “hit the trail,” that is the Chisholm Trail, and they won’t have to go far to find us.
F. Dominic Dottavio, Ph.D. President
Acknowledgements
Tarleton State University President’s Cabinet
Tarleton State University Stakeholder User Group
Dr. F. Dominic Dottavio President
Dr. Kim Rynearson Assistant Vice President for Outreach and Off Campus Programs
Tye Minckler Vice President for Finance and Administration
Dr. Sundarrajan Sankar Professor and Director of Business Programs
Dr. Karen Murray Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Sally Lewis Department Head and Assistant Professor, Medical Laboratory Sciences
Dr. Kyle McGregor Vice President of Advancement and External Relations
Dr. Sandra McDermott Assistant Professor and Director for Health & Service
Dr. David Weissenburger Chief of Staff
Dr. Juanita Reyes Director of Education & Related Programs for Outreach Center
Ms. Darla Doty Interim Vice President for Student Life
Ms. Kayla Kelly Advising Coordinator Ft. Worth Programs and Hickman Building Manager
Consultant Team
Mr. Aaron Wand Director of Facility Services, SSC Service Solutions
Broaddus Planning Campus Master Planner and Facility Programmer
Additional Stakeholders
TBG Partners Landscape Architecture + Illustration
City of Fort Worth Planning and Development
Dugdale Strategy Learning Environment Specialist
Walton International Land Developer
Bury Civil Engineering
Table of Contents
2 Site Analysis 10 3 Concept Plan 18 4 Next Steps 36
Contents
1 Introduction 1
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Introduction
Tarleton State University A member of the Texas A&M University System, Tarleton State University is headquartered at its main campus in Stephenville, Texas, roughly 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth. As far back as the 1970s, the university has offered courses in Fort Worth, beginning with the medical lab sciences program. In 2006, the university began offering courses out of leased office space in a building 7 miles west of downtown, and has expanded programs in nursing, criminal justice, and more. This space is no longer adequate to accommodate the university; since its inception, enrollment in Fort Worth has grown by an average of 17.5% per year, growing from 434 in the fall of 2006 to 1,576 in the fall of 2014
Introduction
Project Background The impetus for this project is to create a new campus concept plan and facility program for Tarleton State University in Fort Worth, located on the southwest side of the DallasFort Worth Metroplex (“SW Metroplex”). In the fall of 2014, Tarleton State University was offered a donation of an 80-acre parcel of land located off of Chisolm Trail Parkway in south Fort Worth. The parcel is intended to be the site of a new campus for Tarleton State, pending formal approval of funding for the first building by the Texas State Legislature, and formal acceptance of the land gift by the Texas A&M University System. The new campus will serve as a consolidated location for Tarleton State University’s Fort Worth-based academic programs. As part of the new campus, a multipurpose academic building is envisioned. This building will be a hub for current academic programs as well as future academic programs that align with the university’s strategic plan. This is a unique opportunity to develop a 21st Century blend of learning environments to serve the local community.
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Vision and Goals for the Fort Worth Campus • Create a campus-feel that fosters a culture of collegiality, community, and engenders a sense of “ownership” among faculty, staff, students.
Project Description This scope of this project encompasses a conceptual master plan for the new Fort Worth campus, with a particular focus on the first building and supporting roads, parking, and infrastructure. The concept plan presents a vision for what the campus will become in the future, laying out spaces in a way that will allow the university to grow coherently in the future. As such, it provides a “framework” for growth, organizing buildings with particular attention to topography and views, and lays out a structure of open spaces and circulation around which the campus is designed. All of this structure starts with the first building - a multipurpose academic building containing learning environments, common gathering space, faculty and staff areas, student support and all other necessary functions to serve the campus until further buildings are constructed. A summary of this building program can be found later in this document, while a more detailed facility program has been prepared as a separate, companion document. While this plan sets out a vision for the campus, more detailed planning beyond this first phase will need to be undertaken as the campus progresses. This plan has been based on enrollment projections and goals established by the President’s Cabinet, however there are many unknowns around how fast enrollment will grow, if funding will be available to undertake projects, and which projects and programs will become priorities as the campus matures. Regardless of these unknowns, the framework provided herein should serve the university well to guide discussions and make sound decisions in future planning efforts.
• Seek a first building that employs innovative spaces, new strategies for teaching/learning, and is flexible so it can change moving forward. • Build on Tarleton traditions and plant the Tarleton flag in Ft. Worth through branding and marketing, social activities, alumni relations, excellent education for value. • Seek enrollment growth exceeding 10% per year, and attain 5,000 students by 2025. • Add new programs (e.g. kinesiology, communications, public health, finance). • Continue to serve non-traditional and place-bound students (not to compete for students attracted to Stephenville). • Continue to be cost competitive. • Explore more partnership opportunities with regional community college districts including Hill, Tarrant, and Weatherford Counties where Tarleton can offer upper-level programs catering to students seeking Bachelors degrees. • Become a faculty destination.
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Planning Process With the Texas Legislative Session nearing, the university was on an expedited timeline to determine its priorities and define its needs for the new Fort Worth Campus. This compressed schedule helped determine the process and approach to this concept plan, leading to the decision to hold two highly interactive and collaborative sessions with university representatives and other stakeholders. These two workshops included:
Day 1: Discover
Introduction
1. A needs assessment workshop held in November 2014 with the stakeholder user group in Fort Worth. This workshop was a listening and input session held to understand the existing context, identify challenges and opportunities, and a lay out vision for the future of the university’s presence in Fort Worth. 2. A stakeholder engagement charrette, held in December 2014, that generated a visionary plan for the 80-acre campus and defined facility needs for the first academic building. This concept plan and facility program are only the initial steps towards opening the first building. Additional planning/programming, infrastructure investment, architectural design, and building construction are future steps required to be complete before the university can open its doors.
Stakeholder Engagement Charrette In December of 2014, participants from the university, Walton International (the land developer), the City of Fort Worth, and a consultant team led by Broaddus Planning participated in a 3-day physical site master planning and programming charrette. This charrette sought to generate visionary ideas for the campus plan and first building. Land use, building locations and sizes, learning environments, green open spaces, transportation access, site topography, environmental sustainability, and utility corridors were explored and planned at a conceptual level. The charrette was broken down into three days with individual themes of 1) Discover; 2) Create, and; 3) Refine, with the ultimate goal of creating a framework plan to integrate all of the aforementioned topics into a cohesive concept for the new campus.
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Listening Sessions SITE EXPLORATION Info
Gathering
Goals+Visioning Guiding Principles
Day 2: Create
Site Plan Sketching
MASTER PLAN SCENARIOS First Building Program Development
Day 3: Refine
PRESENTATION OF OUTCOMES
President’s Cabinet
Conceptual Project Schedule
Feedback + Refinement
Character Renderings
Input + Feedback 5
Introduction
Projected
Actual 12.5% Growth Goal Tapered Growth Model Historic Polynomial Trend Historic Linear Trend
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2014
2020
2025
2030
Compound Growth
1,576 1,576 1,576 1,576
3,195 3,124 2,719 2,435
5,758 4,917 3,850 3,152
10,375 7,059 5,148 3,868
12.5% 9.8% 7.7% 5.8%
Planning for Growth Enrollment Projections The charts on these pages represent set of growth projections considered for the Fort Worth Campus to a horizon at the year 2030. During the planning process, the team conducted stakeholder interviews and gathered demographic information to produce a set of projections for the purposes of the plan. Based on a combination of university goals, historic enrollment growth, and local demographic trends, the President’s cabinet selected the “tapered growth” model for planning purposes which represents a 9.8% annual compound enrollment growth rate out to the 2030 horizon. True enrollment will depend on a number of factors, including not only the aspirations of the university and its success in attracting students, but also its ability to achieve funding and execute building projects.
An Ambitious Growth Target The following points provide support for the robust enrollment growth target agreed to by the President’s Cabinet:
Existing Limitations Tarleton State’s growth ambitions are currently limited by its existing facilities. At present, the university leases space in two buildings: 1) the Hickman Building, which is an office building the university leases a portion of for general academic instruction (31,900 gsf); 2) the Schaffer Building, which is a 19,700 gsf, 2-story building the university leases for its Medical Lab Sciences program. The university renewed its lease at the Schaffer Building, and the Medical Lab Sciences program will remain in use at the facility upon the opening of the new campus. The university’s Fort Worth programs are growing rapidly (10-20% per year on average) as a result of the university’s popular niche in serving upper-level undergraduate students looking for a 4-year, public university experience while living and working in the DFW area. It attracts a high number of low-income, first-generation college students as well as non-traditional adult students. Currently, the university offers 43 degree programs ranging from accounting to criminal justice within four colleges (Business, Education, Science and Technology, Liberal and Fine Arts). The headcount enrollment for Spring 2015 was 1,605. With a concerted effort and resource allocation, the new campus could host as many as 5,000 enrolled students by 2025.
• Tarleton is the only 4-year public university in Fort Worth. • The Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Area is one of the fastest growing urban areas in the country. • Tarleton offers a cost-competitive education in an age of rising higher ed. costs. • Tarleton is currently capturing an under-served market in the DFW area (price- conscious students, non-traditional students, place-bound students, first generation college students, Hispanic students), and will continue to do so as well as attracting more traditional students at the new campus. • Tarleton’s programs are being tailored to suite students seeking to obtain a bachelor’s degree upon completion of an associate degree at a community college such as TCCD, which is one of the fastest growing community colleges in the country. • Tarleton’s programs are being built to meet regional market demand. • Tarleton can leverage its presence in an urban area to: 1) recruit talent; 2) offer executive education/professional development and advanced degrees; 3) connect to alumni living in the area. All of these elements can contribute to enrollment growth.
• Assumes campus will grow by 12.5% per year for every year through 2030 • Assumes campus will grow by 12.5% per year until 2020 then taper off to 10% per year through 2025 and 7.5% per year through 2030** • Describes historic enrollment projected into the future by creating a line of best fit (one option) • Describes historic enrollment projected into the future by creating a line of best fit (another option)
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Site Analysis
Campus Context
Analysis
Tarleton State University’s 80 acre site is set roughly 15 miles south-southwest of downtown Fort Worth along the Chisolm Trail Parkway. The greenfield site was a donation from Walton Development, and is planned as an anchor at the heart of a larger 1,260 acre development called Rock Creek Ranch. This development is intended to be a mix of commercial, mixed-use, and residential uses, still in the conceptual stage at the time of writing. Because it sits at a major access point into the development, the campus is intended to be adjacent to higher density uses including commercial, multi-family, office, and mixed use areas, with lower density single family housing and neighborhood scale uses farther away from the parkway. The planned development is at the fringe of Fort Worth, where suburban residential development meets agricultural land and rural housing dotted with oil and gas drilling pads. The current Fort Worth City Limits bisect the planned Rock Creek Ranch development along Old Granbury Road (as shown in the adjacent diagram) leaving the smaller portion to the west, including the Tarleton State University parcel, just beyond this boundary in the ETJ. The university parcel will be annexed into Fort Worth once the City extends utilities to the parcel.
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To the northwest of the development is Benbrook Lake and Rocky Creek Park which provide recreational opportunities, while down FM 1187 to the east are the towns of Crowley and Burleson. Moving north along the Chisolm Trail Parkway one quickly enters suburban Fort Worth, while traveling south, the land becomes more rural. The City is attempting to shape development in south Fort Worth and extending into its extraterritorial jurisdiction through both its comprehensive plan and thoroughfare master plan. The comprehensive plan identifies a mix of land uses ranging from single and multi-family residential to general commercial within the vicinity of the 80-acre parcel, including a “Community Mixed-Use Center.” This type of land use, which focuses on concentrating jobs and housing while providing access to transit and public facilities, could be an excellent amenity supporting the future campus, potentially creating a town-center destination along the campus’ western edge. While the City of Fort Worth is working on updating its thoroughfare master plan currently, the City’s past plan indicated a primary eastwest arterial approximately aligning with the northern edge of the 80-acre parcel and a primary north-south arterial roughly paralleling Chisolm Trail Parkway to the west of the 80-acre parcel. The thoroughfare master plan is conceptual at this point, but future transportation infrastructure to serve the new campus is essential.
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The Rock Creek Ranch development can be seen in red outline on the two historical maps found here, one from 1895, the other from 1958. The 1895 map shows property ownership, Rock Creek along the southwestern edge, and the Fort Worth Rio Grande Railroad skirting the parcel to the west. By 1958, there have been several major changes; the City of Fort Worth’s boundary is evident to the north, Benbrook lake has been formed by damming the Trinity River’s Clear Fork, and the Railroad appears to have relocated slightly eastward to accommodate this new body of water.
Analysis
As Fort Worth continues to change and grow, it is important to keep an eye on history, and have an understanding of what this land held prior to a university campus. The new Chisolm Trail Parkway that skirts the eastern edge of the Tarleton State Property is named for the historic cattle driving route. Dating back to the 1860s, feeder trails that fanned out across the southern portion of Texas began to bottleneck here, and at this convergence shot northward to Kansas along a more defined corridor. Fort Worth Context - 1895
The images on the opposing page, as well as others found throughout the document provide an idea of the existing state of the property donated to Tarleton State University. Numbered items below correspond to images on the facing page.
1 Looking southeast at the intersection of Old Granbury Road and Chisolm Trail Parkway. Tarleton State property is to the right in the foreground. This will be the rough location of the future exit / interchange.
2 Existing “cow pond” just off the edge of the property. While not on the university property, this pond is notable as it occurs along the main drainage leading out of the property toward Rocky Creek.
3 View back toward the high point of the site looking north, with Chisolm trail at right (east).
4 Existing gravel road leading into the Tarleton State property, looking south. Fort Worth Context - 1958
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1
2
3
4
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Site Analysis
Analysis
The 80 acre parcel donated to Tarleton State is located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Chisolm Trail Parkway and Old Granbury Road. The Chisolm Trail Parkway is a limited access toll road traveling north-south and into downtown fort worth, while Old Granbury Road is now interrupted by the toll road at this junction and no longer connects to the other side of the development. A new overpass and toll road on and off ramps are planned at this junction to provide access to the site and connectivity to the other side of the development. Tarleton State’s property has its long edge bordering on the toll road, which provides good visibility and access for motorists, but limits connectivity along this eastern boundary.
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Currently, the entire site and the area immediately adjacent is unimproved agricultural land, mostly open grassland sporadically dotted with mesquite trees. The terrain is gently sloping and rolling, with wide open views to the countryside and the limited development nearby. The highest point on the site is at a small cluster of mesquite trees in the northern portion, with the site sloping away towards the south and west providing views in both of these directions. The site drains south and west towards Rocky Creek. The northern half of the site flows toward a drainage that feeds a small cattle pond before joining the creek further south. Land around this drainage and Rocky Creek is included in the FEMA 100 year flood plain, as shown on the adjacent diagram, however no portion of the Tarleton State parcel is included in this flood plain area.
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3
Concept Plan
Concept Master Plan
Campus Entrance
Physical Plant
Formal Quad
Multipurpose Academic Building 1
Chisolm “Landscape� Quad
Future Campus Development
Future Parking Provision
Future Rec Fields 18
Concept Plan
Long Range Plan
The following pages present the long-term vision for the campus, illustrated through the Concept Master Plan at left and several renderings of the main open spaces of the campus. Following the overall concept plan is a summary of the first building program, what is contained in that building’s program, and what elements of the plan including roads, landscape, utilities, parking, etc.) are intended to be included in this first phase of development.
Building upon the guiding principles, the design team developed several initial layouts to test various site configurations. These layouts were developed with input from and presented back to participants for feedback during the charrette process. The Concept Plan presented in this document is the outcome of that intensive process of design and input and is representative of the most successful elements of each scheme that was explored.
Guiding Principles
As noted in the previous section, the site benefits from a gentle slope towards the south and southwest, providing splendid views in both directions. To best take advantage of this, the first building has been set at the high point of the site, facing out on to two quadrangles that open out to these views.
Guiding Principles
1. Design with site topography to enhance views and orient built elements. 2. Integrate sustainable design and local landscape character into the campus plan. 3. Define campus edges, entrances, gateways to promote university identity. 4. Design parking to limit its impact on the visual, pedestrian, and natural environment. 5. Build on tradition and quality of Tarleton’s campus in Stephenville.
All access points to the campus will occur off of a north-south street that forms the university’s western edge. As the university presents its public face to the city along this street, buildings have been positioned along it with a comfortable setback for landscaping and signage to allow the university to establish its identity along this edge. This street has notionally been referred to as “University Drive” during the planning process. The site is inaccessible from the north and east; Chisolm Trail Parkway is limited access and an entrance cannot be created off this border, and TxDOT also requires a minimum distance of 1,000 feet from a highway off-ramp before the next intersection, making access along the northern border also not feasible. TxDOT representatives will need to be included in the second phase of the project and approve spacing, and create ROW agreements regarding construction and maintenance of infrastructure.
Concept Plan
At the outset of the planning charrette, a discussion was held to determine the principles that would guide the design of the conceptual campus master plan. These principles helped determine how the plan design interacts with the natural features of the site, how buildings and roads are oriented, and what type of character the campus would take on. The discussion brought up many ideas, opportunities, and visions for the new campus, which were then distilled into the following guiding principles:
Several interior campus streets connect to University Drive allowing access to parking and internal circulation. Parking has been tucked to the rear of the site towards the north and eastern property lines, which are bounded by roads that cannot provide direct access to the site, as discussed above. This allows campus users to enter the site, park, and leave their vehicle, keeping vehicles out of the core of the campus which is focused on pedestrian circulation. The lots are also intended to follow the contours of the site as it slopes away to the south, allowing for terraced bays of parking if necessary. The bays could then employ bioswales to capture stormwater runoff and promote a low impact design. Additionally these terraced bays could help minimize the visual impact of the parking requirements for the site through both topography and appropriate tree planting and landscape treatment. 19
Multipurpose Academic Building 1
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The first building’s eastern façade faces out onto what is envisioned as a more formal and traditional campus quad, leading down to the campus entrance and future interface with the city. This quad is lined by future academic buildings laid out in an orderly and regular pattern, framing a more highly manicured lawn indicative of traditional campus design. Two sets of gates at the bottom of the quad echo those found on Tarleton State’s Stephenville campus and help define the university’s presence where it meets the city.
Concept Plan
Multipurpose Academic Building 1 Plan view drawing of Formal Quad
Formal Green Quad
Section drawing of Formal Quad
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Chisolm Quad
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Concept Plan
Plan view drawing of Chisolm Quad
The first building’s southwestern façade, set slightly off-axis from the building’s rectilinear pattern, is aligned to take advantage of the most dramatic view on the site. This façade faces out on another quadrangle, however one that is intended to take on a much less formal character. The quad is still defined by buildings framing the space while also hugging the contours of the topography; the short side of each building lines the green space, while the long edge follows the terrain. The quad itself takes on a less formal character, using native grasses, wildflowers, and trees to create a more natural feel. This quad is also expected to employ principles of low impact design (LID) to help manage stormwater as it travels from the top of the site towards Rocky Creek to the south and west.
Multipurpose Academic Building 1
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Campus Character Street Types
Campus complete street
The following street characters area identified by the concept plan providing a hierarchy of streets within and around the campus: Service areas
Concept Plan
1. College town street forms the relationship with the surrounding development 2. Complete campus street, with bike lanes and sidewalks. Limiting view lengths to naturally slow speeds and create safe crossing points for pedestrians 3. Focus on pedestrian corridors within the heart of the campus removing potential conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles.
Pedestrian Network
College town street
Pedestrain network Parking zone
Using the site’s natural topography pedestrian routes align with contours to allow movement along terraces connecting between buildings. Wide pedestrian routes leading up the gentle increase in site level of both the major quads will be a minimum of 20 feet in width to afford generous space for students, staff and faculty to stroll under the shade of trees or linger to carry out informal conversations.
Pedestrian and vehicular circulation
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Parking and Servicing Parking for the campus has been arranged to align with the toll-way reducing its visibility from the collage town street to the west of the campus. In particular the parking will not be visible when approaching the campus from the formal or informal quad spaces. Terracing of the parking lots and generous rainwater swales between rows of parking will be used to soften the appearance and storm water impact of the parking lots. Servicing for buildings should be convenient yet discrete. Small service areas for each building have are principally located either with direct access to the internal street network or through a surface parking lot. These service areas are located away from main pedestrian routes to avoid conflict between service vehicles and pedestrians. In addition the Shaded avenue of trees
natural topography of the site allows for servicing to occur below grade for some of the building sites minimizing the need for service access to intrude on the campus spaces on the terrace above.
Urban Design The arrangement of buildings on campus has been carefully configured to take full advantage of the natural topography of the site and to create a gentle terracing of buildings within the landscape, and aligned to frame and define campus open spaces. The campus has been designed to capture long views to natural features in the surrounding landscape, including an area of natural creek intended as a part of a future trails network and green space. Building landmarks and focal points are notionally identified in prominent locations within the campus to aid legibility for pedestrians and cyclists through the campus.
Artwork focal points
Informal meeting spaces
Campus features and indentity - Chisolm Green 25
Landscape Types
Concept Concept Plan Plan
The landscape character of the new campus will draw from the native plants and species occurring in this part of Texas. Planting for the new campus will reinforce this by using species appropriate to the climate, soil and character of the south Fort Worth area. Within this overarching approach there is still potential to create distinctive areas of zones of landscape character. The two principal zones identified in the concept plan are a formal quad landscape befitting an established university and a more natural arrangement within an informal quad.
Features/Identity The Fort Worth campus is part of Tarleton State University. With this important lineage comes a recognition of existing Tarleton traditions and identity which should recognized and ingrained within the new campus as much as it is within the Main Campus at Stephenville. In order to strengthen this relationship the concept plan suggests the inclusion of key features within the campus which draw from those at Stephenville, such as drawing on the red brick buildings with limestone accents while allowing for more contemporary design in new construction. Another positive example of this would be the inclusion of stone gates at the entrance to the university on the formal quad. These gates would both signify the main entrance to the campus creating a strong and positive relationship with future development to the west, but also form part of the wider Tarleton motif which links this new campus with Tarleton traditions. There are also locations within the campus, for example to the east of the first building, where Tarleton’s embrace of public art and sculpture could be used to create a highly prominent land mark, visible form the toll way and in view within the campus in the future.
Formal quad
Tarleton gateway
Landmark/focal points
Artwork/sculpture Informal quad
Campus views
Landscape features and character
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Formal Quad focal point/terminus
Gateway buildings/landmarks
Tarleton gates/pedestrian mall
Campus features and indentity - Formal Quad Historic gates, Stephenville campus
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Multipurpose Academic Building Summary Program
Concept Plan
The university’s first building on this campus is programmed to be a dynamic, multi-purpose facility supporting students’ complete university experience all under one roof. The building accounts for enrollment growth and program expansion of the university in Fort Worth. In total, the building program is approximately 142,600 gross square feet programmed on three levels. The building is programmed to serve approximately 3,100 students (headcount enrollment) at its maximum capacity. In comparison to the university’s existing buildings in Fort Worth (Hickman and Schaffer Buildings), the new building nearly triples the overall amount of space, it increases the number of classroom from 18 to 27 (50% increase), adds four laboratories, includes amenity spaces that are currently lacking, bolsters student support capabilities, and includes an increase in faculty and staff areas to maintain a 15:1 student-faculty ratio. Building Support
Faculty and Staff
Amenities Support
Student Support
Public Gathering
Learning Commons
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The building’s core focus is academic instruction for upper-level undergraduate students and some graduate students. Academic programs that will be housed within this building are business administration, communications, criminal justice, communications, education, and health professions. In total, there are 43 degree programs offered across four university colleges, and the university is planning on adding additional programs in the future. Approximately 50% of the total building program is dedicated to learning environments (classrooms and labs). In addition to learning environment space, the program includes support and amenity spaces for students, faculty, and staff. A central atrium is the ‘hub’ and main entrance of the building. It is the social and interactive anchor. A centrally-located learning commons provides resources that support the academic experience including group meeting space, resource desk, and writing center. Student support spaces for advising and administrative matters are consolidated into a ‘One Stop Shop.’ Additional amenities such as a wellness center and bookstore are included. Finally, utilitarian spaces for facility maintenance, utilities, and loading are included. Learning Environments
LEVEL 3
LEVEL 2
LEVEL 1
Faculty / Staff 19%
Amenities / Support 6%
Learning Commons 13%
Public Gathering 4%
Student Support 5% Program Contingency 5%
Goals of the first building include:
Learning Environments 47%
Summary of Space Requirements by Area Outline Program
Tarleton State SW Metroplex (Fort Worth) Multipurpose Academic Building
• A first building with a sense of permanence and campus feel • A sense of openness and transparency within the building that promotes interaction, reveals dynamic activity of learning • Flexible, adaptable, high-tech learning environments • Student support spaces including advising, admissions, financial aid, and other student resources that are configured into a ‘one stop shop’ arrangement that is convenient for students • Student amenity spaces that support a university experience extending beyond the classroom (e.g. student org offices, rec space, learning commons, resource center etc.) • Informal gathering spaces that become centers of activity, learning, and sociability. Examples include: central atrium, learning commons, cafe, activated hallways, break-out meeting spaces, and outdoor meeting spaces • Lots of small group collaborative settings (alcoves, booths, rooms) dispersed in clusters throughout building
Summary of Space Requirements by Area Areas Build-Out
Build-Out NASF
%NASF
% Internal Circulation
DGSF
Examp
Description
Learning Environments
39,290
45%
0.15
45,184 Space used for formal instruction and learning; classes occur in these spaces
Classro
Learning Commons
10,560
12%
0.15
Student Support
5,460
6%
0.15
Public Gathering
6,370
7%
0.15
Learnin meetin Career financi Centra
Amenities Support
5,328
6%
0.15
16,060
18%
0.15
12,144 Space used for any activity that supports learning 6,279 Advising and administrative space dedicated to assisting students 7,326 Large atrium and multipurpose room for hosting events 6,127 Spaces that provide benefits to faculty, staff, and students and support everyday functionaility 18,469 Spaced dedicated to facutly & staff use
Faculty and Staff Areas Programming Contingency (5%) Sub-Total
Building Support Grossing Efficiency
• Space to expand into as academic programs grow Total Gross Building Area
4,153
5%
4,153
87,221
100%
99,682
0.15
3,730 Spaces for building infrastructure
Offices
IT clos
72.5% Utilitarian spaces and building circulation Mecha (not including central atrium) closets corrido 142,538
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Phase One The first phase of the plan includes provision for the first building along with its associated parking, landscaping, and infrastructure. As noted in the previous section, this building is intended as a multipurpose space that will need to serve many functions until additional buildings come on line.
Concept Plan
In order to serve this building, phase one will have to include an interior road to provide access to the buildings and parking. This road is intended to terminate just beyond the first building, with future extension to the south and eventually back to “University Drive� to create a loop road to the rear (eastern edge) of the campus. This roadway will also contain major utilities sized for future expansion (for further detail please refer to Appendix A). Additionally, there will be a need for secondary vehicular ingress and egress. This is intended to be achieved along the northern edge of the formal (northern) quad. This road would serve initially as vehicular access, and be converted in a future phase to a pedestrian walkway along this formal greenspace as the campus grows and matures. Also included in phase one are several parking lots with provision for roughly 850 parking spaces. These lots were identified as necessary to serve the 3,100 users of this building when it is at full utilization capacity. More distant lots included within the phase one outline could potentially be constructed later to save up-front building costs, and be brought on line when enrollment makes them necessary. Finally, the phase one concept includes small landscaped and hardscaped areas outside of both entrances to the first building. The landscaped area on the east side of the building will become a part of the formal quad as the campus is built out, while the hardscaped area to the west will serve as plaza like entrance from the parking area. While the natural quad to the southwest will not come until a later phase, external circulation and landscaping in the immediate area of the building should be completed at this time.
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Concept Plan - Phase 1
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Phase 1: Site Utilities
Concept Plan
In addition to the building itself, Phase 1 will also need to include all necessary site improvements and utilities. Conceptual utility size and layout is shown on the diagram on the adjacent page; utilities have been routed in a logical framework that follows the conceptual master plan, following streets and walkways and leaving ample sites unencumbered with utility lines and therefore available for development. There are no existing utilities to the site at the moment, and the university will need to make all necessary agreements with public and private providers to bring these to the site. Water and Wastewater will be provided by the City of Fort Worth; the development is currently only partially included within the city limits but the City has agreed to provide this as it is annexed. Natural gas and electric will need to be brought in along University Avenue and tied into at the bottom of the formal quad. There is existing fiberoptic / data routed along Chisolm Trail Parkway, and is intended to be accessed at the northeastern corner of the campus. The campus will also need to install a complete irrigation system including rainwater harvesting facilities. Planning of this system will be conducted during Phase 2 of the project. Phase 1 does not include a central plant, but a site has been identified in the northeast corner of the site and will have to be included in a future phase. A package unit will serve the first building until this project can be undertaken.
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777 Main Street, Suite 600 Fort Worth, Texas 76102 Tel. (817) 887-8104 Fax ( TBPE # F-1048 TBPLS # Copyright © 2015
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4
Next Steps
Next Steps There are a number of critical next steps required to bring this concept plan to life, many of which will require partnership and collaboration with multiple entities including the Tarleton State University, the Texas A&M University System, Walton International (the land developer), City of Fort Worth, and other entities including the North Texas Tollway Administration (NTTA). The items that follow represent the near-term next steps that are critical to completing the Phase One plan and opening the doors of the first academic building.
Next Steps
A Note on Schedule These critical steps all contribute to the ability of the university to open its doors at this new campus. As a part of this planning process, the consultant team, along with Tarleton State and Texas A&M System representatives, created several conceptual schedules detailing the process and timeline beginning from master plan, through design, bid, construction, and building occupancy. The initial conceptual schedule provided for classes to open at the new campus for the Fall 2018 semester. An alternative schedule was also created that reflects a more conservative implementation timeline showing a Fall 2019 opening, one year later than the first schedule created. This alternative schedule considers a longer decision making and pre-project preparation process (eg. utility and roadway design, engineering, and construction). More detail, along with both conceptual schedules, can be found in the accompanying program document.
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Obtain State of Texas Legislative funding for Phase One. The university is actively pursuing funding for this facility though State of Texas appropriations in the current legislative session. Without this funding, the project will not move forward. Finalize the real estate transaction in order that The Texas A&M University System accepts the gift of land. Conduct Phase 1 environmental impact assessment including endangered species, soil sampling etc. to gather information in preparation for master planning. Complete detailed and comprehensive master plan. This step is the next evolution of the concept plan. Conducting a broader university engagement to generate consensus around a shared vision is a primary goal of this effort. Further defining future building use and creating a detailed development schedule that corresponds to all buildings beyond the first building will also be necessary. Refinement of the parking and transportation system, green open space network, and environmental sustainability concepts will be conducted. Calculations will need to be conducted to determine utility capacity for mechanical, electrical, natural gas, IT/data, stormwater, water supply, and wastewater systems and establishing the performance criteria for the central plant will be important. Also, developing a set of design guidelines for architectural and landscape detail is an important element in creating a cohesive campus.
Complete detailed facility program. This effort involves a broader university user group outreach strategy to obtain input to guide the functional and space program forward. Creating room data sheets, staffing plan, space adjacency matrix, and performance narratives for infrastructure systems will be components of this effort. Conduct enrollment management and projection study. This step entails conducting a detailed demographic analysis to create a refined enrollment growth projection and identifying strategies for recruitment and retention of students. Work with Walton International, City of Fort Worth, and NTTA on Highway Interchange and access road. The creation of highway exit and entrance ramps from the NTTA’s Chisolm Trail Parkway onto a surface street and creating access streets to the university’s entrance is crucial to providing access to the new campus. The university (as a stakeholder, not investor) will need to work with all entities to generate a funding and financing solution for this infrastructure. The university is not anticipating contributing funds for infrastructure beyond the 80-acre parcel. Once the funding picture is complete, the university will need to lend insight on the design and engineering of the ramps and surface streets to ensure that the university’s needs are met and the road infrastructure plan follows this concept plan. Roadway infrastructure will need to be provided to the 80-acre campus before the university can commence with campus construction.
Work with Walton International, City of Fort Worth, and local utility providers to ensure utilities connect to and serve the university’s 80-acre parcel. As a condition of land annexation, the City of Fort Worth will extend utilities to the 80-acre parcel. The university will need to use the detailed master plan (see previous bullet point) to inform the City of its capacity requirements for long range development to ensure the university’s infrastructure needs are met. Utilities will need to be provided to the 80-acre campus before the university can commence with campus construction. Participate in conceptual land use master planning for Walton International’s Rock Creek Ranch development. The university is an anchor land use within a larger 1,260-acre development called “Rock Creek Ranch.” The master land developer, Walton International, is planning on creating an overall conceptual land use plan for the development. The plan will likely fit within the City of Fort Worth’s comprehensive land use plan for the southern edge of the city limits. The university needs to have a representative participate in the conceptual planning exercise in order to inform the developer of the university’s plans and contribute input on land uses that can best be adjacent to the university campus. Furthermore, the university will need to contribute ideas to guide the built form and aesthetic of land uses adjacent to campus to generate a ‘sense of place’ including a university “town center” along the campus edge that can benefit students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
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1301 S. Capital of Texas Hwy. Austin, TX 78746 www.broaddusplanning.com