The UNT System Board of  Regents approved two new construction projects during a special meeting on March 31. The initiatives will build a new student wellness center in Denton and the first UNT at Dallas building, both to open in time for classes in Spring 2007.

In a unanimous vote, the UNT regents approved Thos. S. Byrne Ltd. General Contractors of Fort Worth as construction manager at risk for a new $17.1 million student wellness center on the Denton campus.

Preconstruction work will begin this spring. However, Richard Escalante, vice chancellor for administrative services, says construction will not begin until UNT approves a historically underutilized business subcontracting plan, a guaranteed maximum price and other terms. Plans call for construction to begin in the summer.

Students voting in a special, campuswide election last October gave the university approval to begin planning for a new wellness center. Along with approving of the measure, the student body agreed to a $19 per semester student medical services fee increase — to be collected only after the new center opens in Spring 2007.

Noting that UNT's existing health center facility was built as a student hospital in 1958 to serve an enrollment of 6,000 students, regents and administrators agreed that the new building is needed to support today's enrollment of 31,000 students and future growth on the Denton campus.

With another unanimous vote, the regents selected a team led by Hunt Construction Group of Dallas as the construction manager at risk for the first building at the new UNT at Dallas campus site at Camp Wisdom Road and Houston School Road in the city's southern sector.

The Hunt team includes Dikita Engineering and Carcon Industries & Construction LLC — two Dallas businesses classified as HUBs.

According to UNT System Chancellor Lee Jackson and Escalante, construction will begin after the commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approves the project and after the UNT System and the Hunt team conclude agreements on a HUB plan, a guaranteed maximum price and other terms.

"UNT is committed to providing opportunities for HUB subcontractors and will work with the Hunt group in that effort," says Escalante.

"In addition to projects related to working with the construction manager at risk in constructing the building, in May our plans also call for seeking sealed proposals for other subcontract work at the UNT at Dallas site," he says.

The regents, Jackson and system officials expect the actual construction of the building to begin in June.

The drive to launch the new university gained additional momentum during the 2003 legislative session when Texas lawmakers authorized tuition revenue bonds of $25.5 million to develop the campus and facilities for UNT at Dallas.

As soon as the coordinating board can certify that the enrollment at the present Dallas Campus has reached 1,000 FTE (full time equivalent) students, the UNT System can begin the processes to secure approvals and accreditation to offer courses and grant degrees through the new university with its own chief executive officer, administration and faculty.

Dallas Campus enrollment this spring is almost halfway to reaching that goal.

The UNT Dallas Campus, which has been enrolling students for graduate and undergraduate classes and degree programs in southern Dallas since January 2000, will continue to operate as an extension of the UNT campus in Denton until the new university opens.

If the new building is completed before the system meets the enrollment goal, it will become the home of the UNT Dallas Campus until the new university opens. The lease for the present Dallas Campus operations at 8915 S. Hampton Road expires in January 2007.

BY RODDY WOLPER rwolper@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• Refined UNT brand to be unveiled April 27 at public campaign launch
• Former UNT regent and donor dies at 92
• UNT, Nuconsteel sign research agreement
• Work is under way to secure funds for 2005-06 faculty salary market adjustments
• Check UNT's policy before accepting a second job
• Six faculty recognized during UNT's annual Honors Day celebration
• Law school proposal moves forward
• Staff council reps elected
• English faculty member becomes first to fill ombudsman position

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