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Texas State presented its 2025-2035 Campus Master Plan to the San Marcos City Council at its Dec. 3 meeting.

Texas State’s plan outlines extensive renovations and new construction projects across campus to support its growing student population, which according to the presentation is projected to increase to 50,000 with a majority of the growth at the Round Rock campus.

The plan includes a new hotel, a sports center, new bridges across Sewell and Aquarena Springs Drive and the incoming Castro Hall, previously dubbed Canyon Hall, that will add 942 beds to campus.

A new STEM facility, proposed chemistry buildings and expanded performing arts spaces are part of the planned campus improvements. Additionally, enhancements across campus include a new parking garage near the J.C. Kellam Administration Building.

According to the presentation, the long-term vision is to renovate existing buildings to more modern standards.

Director of Facilities Planning Design & Construction at Texas State Gordon Bohmfalk said the Spring Lake expansion, which will add a new entrance to Texas State and educational opportunities for students, was a significant part of the master plan.

“[The plan is a] great vision for Spring Lake, [Texas State] working with the indigenous culture center,” Bohmfalk said. “We’re proposing a new entrance, I think back around to the right side of the site [that will] open up a lot of trails… making it a little bit more of an educational facility.”

According to Bohmfalk, improvements are also planned for Sewell Park.

“At Sessom and Sewell Park… one of the things we’re proposed is replacing the bridge that goes over the creek and doing improvements to some of the headwalls that have been damaged,” Bohmfalk said. “[That] new bridge going over the creek would be a new entry for Texas State.”

Mayor Jane Hughson said she was happy that most of the projected growth is not going toward the San Marcos campus.

“I think a lot of us are happy to see that most of the increase from [40,000 to 50,000 students] is scheduled for Round Rock,” Hughston said.

Eric Algoe, Texas State executive vice president for operations, said there are no current plans for an enrollment cap.

“Ultimately we take our leadership from our Board of Regents,” Algoe said. “It’s not for [Texas State leadership] to place a cap or make promises… we think that [the current projection] is an incredibly aggressive growth pattern for us to handle over the next ten years.”

Councilman Mark Gleason also said he was in favor of the plan due to its increases in student mobility.

“I like the additional mobility… the new bridge connecting [UFCU Stadium] is gonna be extremely helpful,” Gleason said.

Approval of the master plan and the outlined construction depends on the Texas State University System Board of Regents vote at their quarterly meeting on May 16.