TCU reveals $500M expansion with private developers that includes West Berry Street
TCU plans to add over 3,200 beds to its campus with new student housing through a partnership with private developers that includes over $500 million in outside investment, the university announced Thursday.
The project was approved by the private university’s board of trustees during its most recent slate of meetings held last week. Construction is expected to be complete prior to the fall 2027 semester. The partnership developers — American Campus Communities and Endeavor Real Estate Group — were chosen by a national competitive process, the university said.
TCU President Daniel Pullin characterized the developments as key to the university’s growth. He said the university expects to receive over 20,000 applications this year from prospective students seeking a spot in its roughly 3,000 person first-year class.
“In many ways, this is the initiative that unlocks the door of opportunity to thousands of new students, as we look over the next decade,” Pullin said.
TCU’s growth momentum makes it attractive to investors interested in supporting Fort Worth, university leaders say. The administration has been exploring private development options for over two years.
“We’re proud to partner with organizations that share our vision for thoughtful, student-centered growth,” said Kit Moncrief, the chair of TCU’s board of trustees, in a statement. “This level of outside investment reflects deep confidence in the strength of our plans and the enduring value of a TCU education.”
Construction of some of the housing is already underway.
Along West Berry Street, a $82.9 million mixed-use development, named Morado on Berry, will add 780 beds for students and 25,000 square feet of street-level retail space, “further transforming Berry Street into a vibrant, walkable corridor and extending the valuable campus experience,” TCU said.
Developed by Austin-based Endeavor Real Estate Group, the building will offer students luxury apartment-style units and a range of amenities, including a rooftop pool. It is expected to be complete by August 2027, according to state records.
American Campus Communities, the country’s largest student housing developer, is slated to begin building six housing facilities on the east side of campus next month, which will add 2,450 beds. Five of the buildings will be on several blocks between West Cantey and West Bowie streets.
ACC and TCU will co-manage the development; TCU will own improvements constructed on the campus. The project will add about 1,320 beds for first-year students, 1,000 beds for sophomores and 120 townhouse units for other students.
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ACC’s development will also house amenities including academic support centers and lounges. The over 1.2 million square feet of new housing will cost more than $280 million to build. ACC is expected to begin construction of a $42 million, 950-space parking garage on the east side of TCU’s campus in July, which will likely be done in 2027.
“TCU’s investment in our community enhances not only student life, but also the surrounding neighborhoods and the city as a whole,” said Mayor Mattie Parker in a press release. “We are proud to support these expansions that blend education, commerce and community in a way that reflects our shared values.”
Though additional infrastructure is on the way, new development may create growing pains. Construction will eliminate over a thousand parking spaces from TCU’s campus, and first-year students will no longer be allowed to bring their cars.
The university’s growth has created tensions with surrounding neighborhoods over the past decade. Residents want the city to crack down on parties and nonresidents parking in neighborhoods.
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How many students are enrolled at TCU?
TCU has been rolling out its strategic plan, headlined by the trademarked phrase “LEAD ON: Values in Action,” for months. The plan, which will guide the university for the next decade, has four primary focus areas — athletics, community engagement, “student-centered growth” and research, scholarship and community engagement.
The university has yet to announce a fundraiser to help finance its goals, though a capital campaign is in development.
TCU hopes to grow its enrollment to 14,900 undergraduates and 3,000 graduate students by 2035, an annual growth rate of about 3%. About 10,500 undergraduates are enrolled for the spring 2025 semester.
TCU’s enrollment grew by almost 29% percent between the fall 2014 and fall 2024 semesters. As the student population has grown, housing and parking has become scarcer. Over 5,200 students are living on-campus this semester, and residence halls are at 93% capacity. Fraternity halls are at full capacity, while sorority halls are 99% occupied.
Two new dormitories, with a total of 292 beds, and a dining hall opened in January.
Renovations to historic Landreth Hall and Auditorium
TCU also plans to renovate the Ed Landreth Hall and Auditorium along South University Drive and add classroom space to the building, which is expected to be complete at the start of the 2028-29 academic year.
The 1948 building is a “cornerstone” of the College of Fine Arts. The project will include “enhanced learning studios, modern rehearsal spaces and a redesigned performance venue to support the next generation of artists and creators.”
The updated auditorium will have improved acoustics, expanded wings, new seating and a “fly tower” for lighting and technical capabilities.
“We’re not just restoring a historic space — we’re creating a more welcoming and inviting home for the arts,” said Bill Nunez, TCU’s vice chancellor for finance and administration, in a statement. “The renovation will strengthen the student and audience experience while preserving the legacy of one of TCU’s most iconic academic facilities.”
Market Square, a dining hall in the Brown-Lupton University Union will be modernized.
TCU’s plans for West Berry Street
TCU is also planning to work with private developers to transform West Berry Street, according to an update released Monday summarizing a recent board of trustees meeting. The collaboration is expected to create on-campus housing, apartments, parking and retail and office space.
West Berry Street is a key part of TCU’s plans for growth. As the university expands the east side of its campus, it’s aiming to turn the retail-dominated corridor into Fort Worth’s “place to be.”
TCU’s campus master plan, an outline for future facilities, was unveiled in August. If the entire plan is built, 25 new buildings could be added to TCU’s campus, along with additional greenspace.
“Although TCU controls little property on the southern side of Berry Street, there is an opportunity for private development to reimagine many of the properties along the corridor to deliver residential and commercial options that further contribute to the creation of a walkable, mixed-use urban district,” read the master plan executive summary.
Investing in academics
TCU plans to maintain its 14:1 student-faculty ratio as enrollment grows. TCU’s President Daniel Pullin told the Star-Telegram in January that the university will likely hire about 500 new faculty and 550 staff members over the next decade, if the student body grows as planned.
TCU is aiming to become an “R1” designated university by 2035, a classification awarded to the country’s top research schools. The University of Texas at Arlington, Southern Methodist University and Texas A&M University, which is building a new Fort Worth campus, are already R1 institutions. To attain the designation, TCU would have to invest significant resources into developing a top-tier research program.
Experts say the presence of two R1 universities — TCU and Texas A&M-Fort Worth — would be a boon for the city’s economy, attracting new companies to the area and creating a research ecosystem that could fuel job creation for years.
Founded in 1873, TCU is one of the oldest universities in Texas.
This story was originally published April 17, 2025 at 2:38 PM.
