Texas Southern University announced on July 7, 2027, that it has approved a Campus Master Plan directing roughly $1.7 billion toward campus development over the next decade, laying out more than 20 phased construction and infrastructure projects tied to the university’s Ascend 2030 strategy and its upcoming Centennial.

The plan sets a framework for facility upgrades, new academic buildings, and capital investment intended to support student success, workforce preparation, and research growth while preserving the historically Black university’s campus character.

Construction Already Underway on Three Facilities

Crews will break ground later this year on three interconnected buildings: the Catalyst for Urban Transformation, the Nabrit Science Center, and the Health and Wellness Center. More than $95 million in state funding backs the three projects, which will open during TSU’s Centennial year.

Separately, the university will apply a $10 million allocation from the Texas Legislature toward planning and design of a proposed Thurgood Marshall Law Center, which would replace the school’s aging law building. The Texas Facilities Commission is coordinating the project alongside the university.

A Framework for Growth Through 2035

University leaders describe the master plan as a flexible roadmap rather than a fixed blueprint, designed to accommodate future priorities including student housing, recreational space, and facilities that connect the campus to the surrounding Houston community. TSU President J. W. Crawford III said the university “must leap ahead of that growth” as Houston expands, tying the plan directly to the institution’s strategic goals.

The master plan works alongside Ascend 2030, TSU’s academic and operational strategy, with both initiatives meant to keep pace with rising student and community demand over the coming decade.

TSU’s Centennial-driven building push places it among a wave of universities using milestone anniversaries to unlock major capital investment — Old Dominion University in Virginia recently secured full funding for a $250 million Engineering and Arts Building tied to its own 2030 centennial.

Factsheet: Texas Southern University campus master plan

• Total investment: approximately $1.7 billion over 10 years
• Scope: more than 20 phased capital projects
• Three facilities breaking ground later this year: Catalyst for Urban Transformation, Nabrit Science Center, Health and Wellness Center
• State funding for the three facilities: more than $95 million
• Thurgood Marshall Law Center: $10 million allocated for planning and design
• Timeline: facilities expected to open during TSU’s Centennial year
• Partner agency: Texas Facilities Commission