Construction projects are changing the face of campus at The University of Texas at Dallas as the spring semester gets underway. A new Student Success Center/Student Union will be built where the Cecil and Ida Green Center is located, and the former Pub dining area in the current Student Union will be renovated and become an esports center.
“With the growth we have experienced at UT Dallas over the last several years, these key projects will provide much needed additional space and opportunities for our students,” said Dr. Calvin Jamison, vice president for facilities and economic development.
The Green Center is closed and will be demolished in mid-February for the construction of the Student Success Center/Student Union. Parking Lot G is permanently closed, and the northernmost row of parking in Lot E is unavailable. The rest of Lot E is open. Accessible parking spots formerly in lots G and E will be moved to lots A and B. Parking Structure 1 also has accessible parking. Additionally, those with accessible parking permits are allowed to park in any available, nonreserved space, including all color spaces and metered parking spaces. Parking and Transportation also offers complimentary accessible cart service by request for students, faculty, staff and visitors. The Eugene McDermott Library book drop-off box has been relocated to Drive G north of the Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center. Former Green Center occupants are now in the Physics Building and Physics Annex.
The new student building is expected to be completed in late 2026. The Student Success Center part will feature classrooms, a 400-seat, arena-style lecture hall and spaces for the Office of Undergraduate Education, the Student Success Center, the Office of Graduate Education, the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College, the Center for Teaching and Learning and Education Technology Services.
The new Student Union part will provide more than 235,000 square feet of student engagement space, which is more than double the current Student Union’s capacity. Key features of the new facility will include new retail dining concepts, lounge seating inside and outside the facility, an outdoor amphitheater, group study rooms and a creativity lab. The facility also will have at least 10 meeting rooms, dedicated dance practice space and a 12,500 square-foot ballroom, which can accommodate more than 800 people.
For the esports center project, demolition of select areas of the current Student Union will begin in late January or early February. Construction fencing is on the north side of the Student Union. To accommodate construction traffic, the area between the Student Union Food Court and the Engineering and Computer Science North building is closed for the duration of the project.
The esports center, which is expected to be done in early 2025, will feature an open gaming lounge, a multipurpose gaming arena, broadcast and production space, and a new eatery area.
Other projects this semester include:
- The first building of the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum, which will be the second home for the Crow Museum of Asian Art, is on track to open later this year.
- Three new classrooms in the Administration Building have been completed.
- Throughout January, there will be lane closures on Waterview Drive between Synergy Park Boulevard and Frankford Road in support of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Silver Line Project.
- The misting column at the Plinth at Margaret McDermott Trellis Plaza is being repaired after an electrical issue.
- The magnolia trees on campus are being pruned and trimmed, and will receive a root injection for continued tree health.
For more information about construction on campus, visit the Pardon Our Progress website.
