University of Texas Research Campus Master Plan
University of Texas
HR&A positioned UT Austin to capitalize on prime real estate adjacent to Austin’s thriving tech sector. Our market analysis and financial planning for the 475-acre J.J. Pickle Research Campus demonstrated how strategic commercial development could fund infrastructure and generate long-term revenue while advancing the university’s academic and research missions.
UT Austin’s 475-acre J.J. Pickle Research Campus occupied underutilized land adjacent to one of Austin’s fastest-growing tech submarkets. The university needed a strategic vision to transform this low-density collection of uses into a vibrant mixed-use campus supporting academic, research, housing, and commercial development over 30 years. Working as part of a larger planning team, HR&A analyzed case studies from research campuses nationwide to identify best practice characteristics and innovative partnership models for successful university-led developments.
HR&A led market analysis to inform a commercially viable development program as part of the campus master plan. Our financial analysis demonstrated how commercial ground lease revenues could offset infrastructure costs for university users while creating a sustainable long-term revenue stream. This work positioned UT Austin to capitalize on its strategic location in Austin’s booming tech corridor while advancing academic and research priorities through a financially sustainable development framework.
