UNT System Wants to Open a New Branch in Frisco

This story will be updated throughout the day.The University of North Texas System and Frisco officials are expected to unveil plans for a new branch campus in the city on Tuesday. Groundbreaking is expected by 2021 if the university gets final approval from state officials for the campus that would serve the fast-growing area of Collin County.Details of the plan - which includes about 150 acres of land in the city - are expected to be released Tuesday afternoon after officials from the university system, the city council, the Frisco Economic and the Development Corporation all take public votes to approve real estate deals for the new campus. According to the master plan under consideration, the UNT System must get approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating board by Sept. 1, or seek legislative action to proceed. Collin County remains one of the fastest growing areas in the state, almost doubling its population in nearly two decades to almost 1 million residents. It's attracted major companies into the area -- along with their families -- such as Toyota, JPMorgan Chase, Liberty Mutual, State Farm and the Dallas Cowboys. UNT, meanwhile, has also expanded its reach, growing its student population over the past decade by more than 25 percent to 44,000 students at its flagship campus in Denton as well as at UNT-Dallas and the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth. The system also has a law school in Dallas.The system added a satellite campus in Frisco in 2016 that offers a some selected courses and currently serves about 900 students.This story will be updated throughout the day.  Continue reading...