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Branch Campus WT coming to downtown By Greg Rohloff West Texas A&M University will lease about 15,500 square feet of space in downtown Amarillo for graduate and upper-level courses starting this fall.
WTAMU President J. Patrick O'Brien said the lease would run for three years while the university builds a facility downtown. No location was announced Friday at a news conference for either the leased or permanent facility, but it would be within the downtown area identified by the consultant for downtown renovation, Gideon Toal of Fort Worth. WT will offer courses in education, business, agriculture, information technology and nursing because those areas have the greatest need in Amarillo. The university used a consultant to analyze how best to create an Amarillo presence for WT in its efforts to support downtown redevelopment. WT operated a center in Amarillo from 1942 through 1961 with room for up to 1,100 students, O'Brien said. O'Brien went on to say that the new center would cooperate with Amarillo College. The new center will have its own advisory board, including Richard "Buzz" David, president and CEO of the Amarillo Economic Development Corp.; Steven Jones, AC president; Bill Lardie, Anderson Merchandisers president; Frank Lopez, Northwest Texas Hospital CEO and managing director; Mayor Debra McCartt; civic leader Alice O'Brien; Gary Pitner, Panhandle Regional Planning Commission executive director; Rod Schroder, Amarillo Independent School District superintendent; Richard Ware, Amarillo National Bank president; Roger Williams, Bell Helicopter's Amarillo executive director and site leader; and Ross Wilson, Texas Cattle Feeders Association president and CEO. O'Brien was waiting to hear from at least one other potential board member. McCartt praised the announcement as a great step forward in cooperation between Amarillo and Canyon, while David, in noting that the center will be an asset for economic development, said he would push for the addition of engineering and engineering technology courses. The university has issued a request for proposals on leasable space. The requirements are available online at http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us for classrooms, offices, a computer lab, student lounge and study space, and conference rooms. E-mail
comments about this story Posted: February 21, 2008
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