KATY – The University of Houston-Victoria at Katy is preparing to move by the start of fall classes into a new building that it will share with UH in the Katy area.
The location will be home to programs from both UHV and UH to serve the Katy and Greater Houston communities. The three-story, 80,000-square-foot building is located at 22400 Grand Circle Blvd. in Katy near the intersection of Interstate 10 and the Grand Parkway. The UH System funded the building with $46.8 million in construction bonds approved in 2015 by the Texas Legislature.
“UHV Katy’s move is an exciting development for the university,” UHV President Bob Glenn said. “This new site will be home to many of UHV’s most popular transfer and graduate programs in order to offer students the chance to earn degrees close to home at an affordable price. We look forward to partnering with UH and giving our students access to this beautiful, new facility.”
The new building is expected to be ready in time for the Aug. 26 first day of fall classes. UHV will offer transfer and graduate programs from all three of its academic schools: Arts & Sciences, Business Administration, and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV Katy has been operating at 2002 W. Grand Parkway N., Building 2 since fall 2016.
“We’re working to ensure a smooth transition from the UHV Katy instructional site to the new building,” said Karla DeCuir, senior director of enrollment management and external affairs at UHV Katy. “We always want to focus on placing the interests of the students at the forefront and providing them with the help they need. This move is an exciting opportunity to bring programs specific to the Katy area’s needs and create a center for higher education in this community.”
The new building is constructed with a central entrance and lobby with two wings that sweep back in an arrow-like shape. The first floor will feature a lobby with an information desk and an unmanned convenience store at the point of the arrow. There also will be a virtual library. The wings will feature studios and 60- and 40-seat classrooms, and a large classroom that can be converted into a multi-purpose room.
The second floor will have studios, classrooms and labs, in addition to two UHV office suites for faculty and staff, and conference rooms. There also will be study niches in the hallways with power outlets for students’ laptops and other devices. The UH System wanted to be sure there were plenty of study alcoves and spaces in the building, said Jay Neal, associate vice president for academic affairs and COO at the UH instructional sites in Katy and Sugar Land.
The building’s third floor will feature labs, studios and more classrooms. In addition, there will be an outdoor balcony patio space for students to study or spend time together.
The UH System purchased 40 acres for the building site, which means there is room to add new buildings and programs in the future, Neal said. In addition, Houston Community College has purchased land nearby to build a Katy location.
The Katy instructional site is designed by SmithGroup and is being constructed by Tellepsen, a Houston-based construction contractor.