An imagining of UNT’s new Frisco campus | Conceptual rendering courtesy of University of North Texas

In the future, it will be easier for Collin County residents to take classes through University of North Texas. Plans are underway for a full campus to begin construction in Frisco as early as next year. The Frisco campus will be located near the intersection of Preston Road and Panther Creek Parkway and will boast open spaces that complement the sites trees, hills and other surrounding greenery.

“I am excited that the Master Planning Committee has provided the UNT Regents with a recommendation that serves the current and emerging needs for baccalaureate and graduate education in Frisco, Collin County and beyond,” Bob Brown, UNT Sr. VP for Finance and Administration said in an email.

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City of Frisco donated 100 acres of land to UNT for its Frisco campus and approximately 45 percent of that land will be reserved for green space. The Frisco campus will have hike-and-bike trails, as well as an outdoor learning lab.

UNT Frisco’s plans will go before City of Frisco officials next month and regents are expected to give approval to plans by August. Upon approval, Ayers Saint Gross, the campus’ official construction partner, will begin building roads, an academic building, a nature pavilion and a footbridge leading to a planned mixed-use development. The first phase of construction is estimated to cost about $100 million.

The Frisco campus is expected to grow over the course of 20 years, eventually adding an event quad, an amphitheater, two parking garages and a business conference center. A fair portion of the greenery will remain untapped.

“The plan incorporates [for UNT Frisco] the best of the natural surroundings for the site,” Brown said. “We will save the wetland areas and use them for environmental educational opportunities at the university, and for partnership with Frisco ISD and others. A network of trails will provide a way for students and the community to enjoy the surroundings. There is enough flexibility in the plan to create the connections with the Frisco park and recreation activities being envisioned by the city adjacent to the site.”

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University of North Texas’ Frisco campus is slated to begin the first phase of constrution early next year and is expected to be ready for enrollment by the Spring 2023 semester.