Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

UTEP Celebrates Construction Milestone for New Academic Building

  • By Matt Jones
  • 01/23/25

The University of Texas at El Paso in El Paso, Texas, recently held a “topping out” ceremony for its new learning complex, Texas Western Hall, according to university news. The construction milestone marks the placement of the last beam of a structure in progress. The university is partnering with Sundt Construction on the project, which broke ground in late 2023 and is scheduled for completion in spring 2026.

The complex comes with a price tag of a $110 million, and it will cover 124,725 square feet. Amenities will include almost 30 classrooms, multiple large auditoriums, 23 collaboration spaces, a rooftop terrace, and a café, university news reports.

“Working together, the UTEP, Ayers Saint Gross and Sundt teams have created a beautiful building that reflects both the tradition of Bhutanese architecture at UTEP and the need for a 21st century learning environment,” said Sundt’s vice president and El Paso regional director, Joseph Riccillo. “I’m thankful to celebrate this milestone with our partners and everyone who has worked on Texas Western Hall and I look forward to the day very soon when we can officially open it for use.”

Funding for the project came from the Texas legislature and permanent funds from The University of Texas System Board of Regents. University news reports that after construction is complete, the adjacent Liberal Arts building will be demolished to restore the arroyo beneath it.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

  • Texas Recruitment

    Texas Recruitment

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The University of Texas at Austin's Texas Recruitment has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of Renovation.

  • UTampa Breaks Ground on STEM Academic Facility

    The University of Tampa in Tampa, Fla., recently broke ground on one of its largest academic facilities ever, according to a news release. The Dickey Science Innovation Center will measure 153,000 square feet and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.