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UT Dallas opens third Jindal School building as campus construction phase concludes

The University of Texas at Dallas has opened its third Naveen Jindal School of Management building, marking the final stretch of a major campus transformation phase.

Opal Keller

August 21, 20262 min read

academic expansion - illustration, Jake Team LLC

The University of Texas at Dallas has opened the third building for the Naveen Jindal School of Management, a development that signals the end of a significant construction phase on campus. The new structure, which accommodated students for the start of classes on August 24, adds 132,000 square feet of space to the south side of the campus.

It houses undergraduate and executive education programs, business communications courses, an artificial intelligence lab, and the dean’s offices. A second Starbucks location is also situated within the building.

Dr. Hasan Pirkul, the Jindal School dean, described the facility as a gathering place for students, alumni, and corporate partners. The building includes studio classrooms designed for remote teaching and a 40-seat boardroom intended for small and midsize companies to host meetings. Pirkul noted that the space allows the university to build relationships with industry and nonprofits in the Dallas metroplex.

Although classes are underway, exterior work will continue, with a grand opening celebration planned for later in the year.

Two other major projects are scheduled to debut in spring 2027: the Student Success Center/Student Union and the second phase of the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum. The Athenaeum expansion will include a 66,900-square-foot music building and a performance hall with approximately 680 seats. The facility will feature rehearsal rooms, a recording studio, classrooms, offices, and a music library.

Dr. Nils Roemer, dean of the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of the Arts, Humanities, and Technology, stated that the design emphasizes interconnectedness to allow students to move easily between academic and performance spaces.

Rafael Martín, vice president for administration and chief of operations, indicated that while the current construction boom is ending, new capital projects are already in motion. The UT System Board of Regents recently approved a 36,000-square-foot second phase of the Research and Operations Center West (ROW).

This addition will be built adjacent to the existing ROW building, utilizing a surface parking lot that will be blocked off for site preparation. Construction on this new phase is expected to begin in the fall, with completion targeted for 2028.

University of Texas at Dallas employs about 3,700 people in Richardson, according to local government records.

Source: The University of Texas at Dallas.

Sources

https://news.utdallas.edu/campus-community/campus-transformation-update-2026/

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Opal Keller

Opal Keller reports on local business, new openings, and economic development in Richardson.

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