FT. WORTH, TX — Tarleton State University broke ground on a second building on its 80-acre campus in southwest Fort Worth along Chisholm Trail Parkway. At more than 100,000 square feet of classroom and specialized lab space, the $66-million Interprofessional Education Building will address the region’s two most pressing needs — increased access to quality health care and education.

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker called education key to the city’s economic and cultural advancement.

“As we continue to attract new residents and businesses to Fort Worth, greater educational opportunities are vital,” she said. “Our partnership with Tarleton State University is one answer to meeting workforce needs and continuing to grow a diverse, global community.”

Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp called the groundbreaking “a watershed moment for Tarleton, Tarrant County, and the entire A&M System.”

More classroom and lab space means expanded offerings in occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, psychology, nursing, kinesiology, medical laboratory sciences, and teacher education.

With an enrollment topping 2,280, Tarleton offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs in Fort Worth. If growth continues as expected, the campus could enroll 6,000 students by 2030.