UTSA President Taylor Eighmy speaks before the San Antonio City Council.
(Oct. 18, 2018) – The San Antonio City Council today unanimously approved the transfer of two parcels of land to expand the UTSA Downtown Campus. The collaboration is a major component in UTSA’s 10-year vision to accelerate the development of the Downtown Campus as an exemplary urban serving university that produces highly skilled professionals, advances economic development and creates prosperity in San Antonio.
The City of San Antonio properties transferring to UTSA include 2.5 acres at the intersection of South Santa Rosa and Dolorosa Streets and one acre on Dolorosa near South Flores Street. They would be the sites for the National Security Collaboration Center and the School of Data Science.
“Today’s vote by City Council is a terrific illustration of the power of collaboration,” said UTSA President Taylor Eighmy. “The land transfers will accelerate UTSA’s ability to serve as a driver of economic development and social mobility in our city, and together we are shining an even brighter spotlight on San Antonio for national cybersecurity leadership.”
President Eighmy, UT System Regent Rad Weaver, several San Antonio business leaders and UTSA cybersecurity student Heila Shahidi went before the City Council today in support of the land transfer, calling it a game changer for downtown San Antonio. Mayor Ron Nirenberg reinforced that description.
“UTSA’s expansion will accelerate San Antonio’s ongoing central city resurgence and provide a transformative boost that enhances economic opportunity for generations to come,” said Nirenberg. “These initiatives will have a profound effect on our growing technology sector in addition to UTSA’s drive to become a nationally recognized research university. San Antonio is second only to the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area when it comes to federal cyber defense assets. Already, San Antonio’s academic institutions are a big part of the cyber technology landscape.”
Former HUD Secretary and mayor of San Antonio Henry Cisneros spoke as a government official who studied the relationships between universities and cities, particularly universities located in downtown areas, and, also, as a longtime resident of the westside of San Antonio.
“This is a powerful plan,” Cisneros said. “Universities can be powerful, powerful guiding forces to a city’s economy.”
He confirmed San Antonio is on the same successful tract as Austin, San Francisco, Washington D.C., New York, and Phoenix, that all received an economic boost from major downtown university campuses.
UTSA and the city are also actively exploring the joint development and management of the former Continental Hotel on West Commerce Street as housing for faculty and other urban professionals. The project will involve the renovation of the existing hotel and construction of a new building on the hotel’s former parking lot.
UTSA is concurrently in discussions with Bexar County for the potential transfer of 2.6 acres of property, conjoining the city parcels.
Learn more about the UTSA Downtown Campus 10-Year Plan.
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Join Leadership and Volunteer Service on Friday, January 21st for plant installation in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Please meet at the North Paseo Building near the VIA Bus Stop.
Main CampusStalking 101 will help students, faculty, and staff to recognize stalking (Know it), understand the different ways stalking affects victims (Name it), and how to help someone who may be affected by it (Stop it). This is BYOB--Bring your own brown bag lunch event, so bring your lunch and learn about stalking.
Wellbeing Service Meeting Room, RWC 1.806, Main CampusJoin us virtually as we unveil the new College of Education and Human Development’s (COEHD) Student Success Center. Learn about how this Center is designed to assist Undergraduate COEHD students with a successful academic transition from entry to graduation, provide support and mentorship and serve as a resource center and hub to enhance their academic journey. There will also be UTSA and Pop Culture Education Trivia and giveaways as well.
Virtual EventJoin this week’s Roost weekly tournament series at the Roost. Compete against your friends, roommates and classmates. Registration is required. Limited spots available.
Roost Game Room, H-E-B Student Union 2.220, Main CampusThis session will begin with a brief introduction and overview of the NSF CAREER program followed by audience Q&A with past NSF CAREER awardees.
Virtual EventCareer Conversations are informal virtual networking events on Thursday evenings between graduate business students and company representatives.
Virtual EventSession for faculty on how to develop strong outreach and education components to meet NSF’s broader impacts requirements. (Note that the emphasis will not be on education components for NSF CAREER proposals, which are covered in an on-demand NSF CAREER webinar also available to UTSA faculty.)
Virtual EventThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education.
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to ending generations of discrimination and inequity. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
