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Texas A&M University is working with private developers to create a multimillion-dollar development along University Drive that could include a hotel and conference center, retail shops, restaurants and residential living.

The high-density, urban, mixed-use development dubbed Campus Pointe would sit on a nearly 90-acre swath of land at the intersection of University Drive and South College Avenue -- land that currently is home to university-owned apartments that cater to international and married students.

Ideally, the pedestrian-friendly development would include local businesses and national chains, according to Bobby Bisor, associate vice president and chief of staff at Texas A&M. Residential housing could be included in the form of lofts above retail shops and condominiums atop the proposed hotel.

Though still in a conceptual stage, construction could begin by the end of the year if all goes as planned, Bisor said. The earliest phases of the development could be complete within another two years, he said.

"It's got lots of potential and it's an exciting opportunity, but it's a big one," Bisor said as he explained during a recent interview that university officials had been working on the project for the past three years. "While we have gone slower than probably a lot of people would like, we would prefer to do it slow and get it right."

After requesting bids from potential developers, university officials identified their top two choices, which Bisor declined to reveal. Administrators are negotiating with the highest-ranked firm, trying to hammer out development and ground lease agreements. Any agreement must be formally approved by the Texas A&M System Board of Regents, Bisor said, explaining that it could take another six months or so before ground is broken.

The price tag for the project could be upward of $400 million, depending on what is ultimately included in the project, Bisor said. A&M essentially would turn over its land to a developer, who would assume the majority of the risk involved with the project. In return, the university would receive ground lease payments, he said.

"The real value we bring is really the value of the land and the location of the land," Bisor said. "It's a very valuable real estate asset that has the potential for a higher and better use than we currently have."

Such a hub could pump $90 million into the economy over the next two decades, Bisor said.

But not everyone is thrilled with the concept, which calls for the current University Apartments to be razed and rebuilt at the rear of the property -- possibly overtaking some or all of Hensel Park.

"They're going to come in and build where the students have a connection to our neighborhood," said Alma Villarreal, a homeowner in Bryan's historic Oakwood neighborhood. "Not that there is anything wrong with students. But first of all, it's not supposed to be done, and secondly, it's going to deteriorate our neighborhood."

On the radar for decades

Bisor said consideration of such a development began shortly after former A&M President Robert Gates announced his faculty reinvestment plan, which called for the hiring of almost 450 new faculty members. University officials knew they needed to find space -- places to live, eat and shop -- for all the new employees, Bisor said, so they began to look for opportunities.

It also happened to be time to review the student housing situation just north of campus, Bisor said, noting that those two factors were the initial project drivers.

"There has always been talk, for decades now, about how to leverage university real estate for a higher and better use, and that area has always come up," Bisor said. "It's kind of always been on our radar."

A&M isn't the first university to engage in such a public-private partnership designed to further development across from campus. Georgia Tech University, Arizona Tech University and the University of Maryland all have been relatively successful in similar endeavors, Bisor said, explaining that the partnership is common for universities that want to limit their risk.

The university already owns the 90 or so acres in question. Bisor said there have been discussions regarding whether A&M should pursue adjoining land -- including the area on which the Plaza Hotel sits. On the corner of University Drive and Texas Avenue, it appears on the surface that the land would add value to Campus Pointe. But administrators will need to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision, he said.

"That's desirous," Bisor said. "We'd have to figure out if that's really affordable for us and then, does it add real value to our development?"

That, of course, won't be the only aspect of the project that must be studied. The developer would be responsible for studying market conditions and determining what ultimately is feasible and can be supported at the site. The goal, he said, is to have a master plan that fits with the values of both the university and the community. For example, Bisor said, the university would not want a sexually oriented business included in Campus Pointe.

The university also would have final approval on "fit and finish" -- or the look and architectural style of the buildings -- as well as the tenants who will rent space there, Bisor said.

"When you think about an urban, mixed-use development ... you think about lots of places where people can connect. Where people are out walking, where you can live, you can dine, you can shop -- all in the same area," Bisor said. "The desire is to really create this sense of community for that area."

Neighborhood opposition

Not everyone near the proposed development is eagerly awaiting its arrival. The Oakwood neighborhood, one of Bryan's older subdivision, sits just north of Hensel Park, where A&M is tentatively planning to rebuild its on-campus apartments.

Villarreal is among the roughly 150 homeowners in the neighborhood, which she said is made up mostly of retirees and families with children. She said deed restrictions, updated just five years ago, indicate the neighborhood is designed for families and that students are discouraged from living there.

Moving University Apartments to Hensel Park will eliminate green space connected to their neighborhood via a bike trail, she said. But more importantly, it will give students direct access to their neighborhood.

The majority of her neighbors expressed concerns about the project after learning about it during the neighborhood's Fourth of July picnic last year. Some even went to the city of Bryan to plead their case, but their efforts were futile. Villarreal said she doesn't know if any residents have complained to the city of College Station or Texas A&M, but noted that likely would be a next step.

"We're not happy with that. We don't want that," Villarreal said. "The neighborhood is opposed to it."

Bisor said he has not heard directly from residents, but he acknowledged that it was important for the university to be a good neighbor. He noted that moving the apartments didn't mean that all park space would be eliminated.

It is simply too early in the process to know how the final plan will look, he said.

But Bisor noted that there is another aspect to consider as the plan is being developed: the students who live in University Apartments. The current units are old and rent is low. So administrators must be careful, when constructing new units, not to price students out of their homes.

The Board of Regents, A&M President Elsa Murano and fellow administrators have stressed the importance of the issue, Bisor said. New units obviously will be more expensive than their older counterparts. But, Bisor said, the university can work with developers to ensure rental rates remain affordable.

"They really do want us to think about this in a very comprehensive way," Bisor said. "We're being very careful about what we do there and understanding its relationship to the university's needs."

A shared vision

Texas A&M University isn't the first entity to push for a hotel and conference center. The city of College Station repeatedly has tried to move forward with such a project. City officials have tried to plan for such a development in Wolf Pen Creek, Northgate and in the land mass east of Earl Rudder Freeway between University Drive and Harvey Road.

While A&M hasn't formally partnered with the city on the Campus Pointe development, university administrators have been meeting with city staff and council members, whom Bisor described as cooperative. It remains unclear exactly how the city will be involved in the project, but Bisor said College Station clearly will have to play a role because a convention center will need to reflect not just the university's needs, but the community's needs.

"We have a shared vision for getting something accomplished. I don't think either entity is approaching this from a selfish perspective," Bisor said. "We have a different set of goals and aspirations, but they're not to the detriment of the other."

Bisor said there is an inherent academic aspect linked to a conference center. A conference, at its base level, is designed to disseminate knowledge and information, which is the university's role, Bisor said. But equally important is the economic benefit derived from having more tourists in town, and that's where the city comes in, Bisor said.

While not involved with all of Campus Pointe, the city of College Station is interested in partnering with A&M for development of the proposed hotel and conference center, City Manager Glenn Brown said Friday. The city's economic development staff has been meeting with Bisor for the past six to eight months.

Brown said the city continues to push for such a development because of the impact it would have on the area. Bryan-College Station is home to scads of hotels and motels, most of which are packed on Aggie football weekends and for graduation. But, Brown said, there are many weekends when hotel rooms go vacant.

A convention center would serve to draw more tourists and conferences to the area, which would spur economic development, he said.

"We do want to be sure there is somewhere in this community for a hotel and convention center project," Brown said. "We don't know what direction, for sure, they'll take in the future. It's all real potential at this point. But we want to ensure there is this kind of facility in College Station, and we feel like the community would like to see that happen also."

• Holly Huffman's e-mail address is holly.huffman@theagle.com.

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Posted by: ??? Williams On: 5/6/2008

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Why did you not put a picture of Scott Williams on the web?????? He's my dad
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