BLINN MASTER PLAN REPORT SHOWS POTENTIAL FOR WALLER CAMPUS, GROWTH PREDICTED AT BRENHAM, BRYAN, RELLIS
The Blinn Board of Trustees looked into what the future may hold for the College’s existing campuses and potentially new campuses at its meeting Tuesday.
The board heard from various representatives who presented an update on the College’s districtwide facilities master plan, which covers goals and visions for the College District across its entire 13-county area.
Doug Lowe, founder and president of Facility Programming and Consulting, told trustees that Waller could serve as an appropriate area for a new campus or satellite location considering its age demographic, paired with little competition from other institutions.
Lowe noted that a new location in Waller could possibly take students away from the Brenham Campus, but he said it could also act as a feeder for the Brenham location, as students could take one semester in Waller and then move to Brenham.
According to the data presented by Lowe, enrollment is projected to increase at the Brenham and RELLIS Campuses through 2039, while the amount of students at Bryan and Sealy Campuses is expected to mostly remain unchanged. Enrollment at the Schulenburg Campus is projected to drop.
The presentation also showed that hundreds of millions of dollars in enhancement projects are planned through 2030 at the Brenham, Bryan and RELLS Campuses.
In Brenham, at least $57.8 million in projects are planned through 2025, including construction of a new academic building and student services building; renovations at the Old Main building, Mill Creek Hall and Melcher Hall; street and sidewalk realignment along College Avenue; and demolitions of the Holleman, Memorial, Solons and K. Atkinson Halls.
Through 2030, at least $127.9 million is estimated to be used for projects such as a new communications and data center, a sports and intramural zone, parking lot expansion, renovations of the academic space at the Bullock Center, and demolitions of the Buccaneer, Lockett and Rachel Spencer Halls.
The future seems less certain for the Schulenburg and Sealy Campuses, which had no enhancement projects showcased as part of the presentation. Alan Colyer, principal and design director at Gensler, said enrollment is either remaining the same or declining at both locations, with little to no tax support. He suggested the Schulenburg Campus could evolve to maintain its presence while the Sealy Campus could move to a more favorable location in the city. He also said the College could choose to keep those campuses operating as is, or close the physical campuses while continuing to offer online courses.
Below are slides featured from the workshop. You can watch the full meeting here.
