The STEM Classroom Building will feature classrooms, research and teaching labs and offices, according to the school's website. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The school estimates a $137.4 million price tag for the project.
Sweden-based company Skanska said this week it has signed a contract with the university to build the STEM classroom building.
Gordon Bohmfalk, Texas State's director of facilities, said the project is currently in its design phase.
"These departments are kind of scattered in different buildings on campus," Bohmfalk said. "They're in older buildings. They need to be upgraded with new technology. That's kind of in a nutshell why we need this building."
The building is expected to be completed for the fall 2026 semester, he said.
Texas State has reported record enrollment for the past three years, with 11,000 students becoming Bobcats during that period. The university reports current enrollment of 38,873. For comparison, the University of Texas at San Antonio reports current enrollment of 34,864.
To address its rapid growth, the university has plans in place for two residence halls that combined will create nearly 2,000 student beds.
One of those is the James Street Housing Complex, a 942-bed, seven-story residence hall, according to filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The estimated cost of the 223,574-square-foot project is $101.5 million.
A $126 million, 1,006-bed residence hall known as the Hilltop Housing Complex is also in the works, and scheduled be completed in May, according to the school.
Living on campus is a key part of the college experience, Bohmfalk said, and Texas State will likely need to build more more student housing within the decade.
"There's pressure on financing when (students) have to go to private properties for (housing)," he said. "So we're trying to serve the need for freshmen and sophomores to be able to live on campus."
Texas State is forming a master plan to envision what other schools may need buildings for the next decade.
There's about $500 million currently budgeted for expansion projects at Texas State, according to the school. The money for the expansion is coming from a mix of sources, including bonds and state funds, but not all of the proposed projects have their funding secured, according to the university.
Among the proposals are a $90 million music building and a $37 million end zone expansion at Bobcat Stadium. Texas State is also drawing up designs for a $53 million academic building on its satellite campus in Round Rock.
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