Texas A&M AgriLife to renovate Dallas center campus
Contacts: Dr. Jeanmarie Verchot, 972-952-9280, [email protected]
Gabe Saldana, 956-408-5040, [email protected]
DALLAS — The Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas has begun a comprehensive campus renovation, including construction of a new headquarters building and research facility.
The new, environmentally sustainable headquarters, located at 17360 Coit Road, will stand alongside upgraded existing buildings, overhauled infrastructure and new public teaching facilities. The new additions will transform the Dallas campus over roughly two years, AgriLife officials said.
“The sound of heavy machinery outside is a welcome one,” said center director Dr. Jeanmarie Verchot. “It represents the construction of a space that reflects the innovation already taking place within these walls.”
Verchot said the center focuses on producing agricultural solutions for improved sustainability in urban and suburban living. Research areas include resource-efficient turfgrass breeding, low-impact urban development technology, stormwater management, water conservation and resilience of ornamental and food plants.
The three-story headquarters building on the campus will include modern laboratories, a rooftop research greenhouse and work space for the center’s staff of about 100 Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service employees.
Facility features will include a visible rain-harvesting cistern and high-efficiency water and electrical fixtures. Sustainable construction materials will be used for all new projects.
A new 300-seat teaching facility will be constructed on the northern portion of the campus and will use an extensive rainwater harvesting system to provide all of the building’s water needs.
Center horticulturists and plant scientists will renovate the campus landscape, which will include a comprehensive pallet of regional native and adapted plant life. The design will also include environmentally friendly hardscapes and resource-efficient turfgrass varieties bred by the center’s turf-breeding program.
“This building initiative represents a new chapter for Texas A&M AgriLife in Dallas,” said Dr. David Lunt of College Station, associate director for AgriLife Research. “We are elated to be embarking on this flagship project for AgriLife in North Texas.”
Construction is slated for completion by late 2018.
The campus overhaul follows the launch of the new center website at http://dallas.tamu.edu/. The site includes project overviews, construction renderings and news and video coverage of the construction process.
