(EAGLE PASS, TX) – Sul Ross State University (SRSU) is under contract to purchase 43 acres of land in Eagle Pass to serve as the site of the future SRSU International campus offering four-year degrees and a comprehensive student experience. The property, located at the northeast corner of Foster Maldonado Boulevard and Main Street, is currently owned by WECO & Associates. SRSU has agreed to purchase the property for $4.5 million using Higher Education Fund revenue provided by the 89th Texas Legislature.
“This investment in Eagle Pass marks a historic step forward for Sul Ross International,” said SRSU President Carlos Hernandez. “It allows us to move ahead with plans for a four-year university that will serve and strengthen the Middle Rio Grande Region for generations to come.”
Since 2022, SRSU and the Texas State University System (TSUS) have received proposals from several area landowners who generously offered to donate property for the campus. However, after a careful review of these options and in consultation with a trusted commercial real estate firm, JLL, Inc., the university concluded the WECO property was an ideal location due to its proximity to Southwest Texas College, Fort Duncan Medical Center, and a nearby athletic complex. SRSU expresses its gratitude to landowners Larry Levine, Thomas Teague, and Sonia and Beyer Junfin for offering their property.
In 2022, TSUS engaged Hanover Research, a leading market research firm, to assess regional demand for new academic and workforce programs. Hanover found demand in the region for new degree programs in finance, engineering, information science, construction technology, computer information systems, and health-related fields. The 89th Texas Legislature authorized $2.5 million annually to support the development of these academic programs.
This year, the 89th Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1022 by Representative Eddie Morales and Senator César Blanco, authorizing SRSU to offer lower-division courses in a 20,000-square-foot multipurpose teaching facility situated between the existing leased space at Southwest Texas College and the newly acquired property.
TSUS has engaged Freese and Nichols to update the 2023 Eagle Pass Master Plan, which is scheduled to be presented to the Board of Regents in May 2026. The Master Plan update will be funded with support from Maverick County, the City of Eagle Pass, Maverick County Hospital District, and Eagle Pass Water Works. Upon approval of the updated Eagle Pass Master Plan, TSUS will execute design and construction contracts for the inaugural building, which is anticipated to be completed within three years of execution.
About Sul Ross State University
Authorized by the Texas Legislature in 1917, Sul Ross State University is known as The Frontier University of Texas. Sul Ross encourages each student to explore their own frontier to exceed their educational, personal and professional goals. The university is committed to student success through low student-to-teacher ratios, dedicated faculty, and hands-on experience in marketable skills.
About the Texas State University System
The Texas State University System is the state’s first university system, with seven institutions serving more than 102,000 students from far West Texas to the Gulf Coast. Established in 1911, the mission of TSUS is to provide high-quality, affordable degree and credential programs to meet the needs of Texas’ diverse and fast-growing economy.