In 2004, a part of Fort Worth’s history ended when the Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas closed – but a new phase in the UNT Health Science Center’s history started.

The Health Science Center purchased the OMCT property on April 14, 2005, with an eye toward expanding its campus size – and thus its ability to help heal the people of Fort Worth, the state and the nation.

Soon after, a Master Facilities Plan process started with a goal of preparing the Health Science Center for the next 20 years of education and research growth.

Executive Summary
The Master Facilities Plan achieves several goals.

• Provide the much-needed building space to accommodate growing numbers of students, researchers and faculty.
• Create a sense of community on and around campus by providing green spaces and facilities in keeping with the appearance and atmosphere of the Cultural District.
• Unify the campus by providing a “collegiate” atmosphere with indoor and outdoor spaces that support the students, faculty, staff and neighbors of the Health Science Center while providing important traffic ways to connect the far ends of the campus.
• Establish a sense of identity for the campus through the use of signage, landscaping and architecture that sets the campus apart from the surrounding areas as an academic center, but also respects the surrounding neighborhoods and is aesthetically cohesive with the area.
  
  View the Executive Summary of the Master Facilities Plan

View the final Master Facilities Plan

Phase I
Phase I of the Master Facilities Plan encompasses changes made in the first five years of the Plan. Those changes include:

• Demolition of the former OMCT building;
• Begin construction of Building A – the Public Health Education building;
• Begin construction of “Building B,” a center of fitness and well-being for use by students, faculty and staff;
• Demolish the current one-story Osteopathic Research Center and Physician Assistant Studies Department buildings in front of the library;
• Construct a median down Montgomery Street to slow traffic and make street-crossing safer for pedestrians;
• Establish the first of several quads around campus in the space in the “L” of the PHE building and Building B; and
• Construct the initial stages of a unifying “campus spine,” which will connect the westernmost and easternmost areas on campus with a walkway.

Final Plan
The Master Facilities Plan will usher the Health Science Center smoothly through the next 20-25 years, allowing space and facilities for the growing student body, faculty and supporting staff.

Over that time period, the Health Science Center will add:

• 10 new buildings to its existing campus;
• Four campus quads;
• Six on-campus garden areas;
• New signage and wayfinding;
• Traffic calming elements to Montgomery Street;
• Landscaping suiting the Health Science Center’s location;
• Unobtrusive parking to accommodate the campus population; and
• A central “spine” walkway designed to unify the west and east ends of campus.

View sketch of the Final Phase of the Master Facilities Plan

Process of Master Plan – Master Plan Timeline

April 2005 - UNT Health Science Center takes possession of the former Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas property.

Fall 2005 - An Advisory Committee made up of community representatives and Health Science Center representatives meets six times at the Health Science Center before recommending a master planner to the president of the Health Science Center UNT System chancellor.

Spring 2006 - UNT System negotiates with Carter & Burgess/Polshek Partnership Architects and contracts with the group to take on the Phase I, 15-year, high-level Campus Master Planning beginning August 2006. The plan will take the Health Science Center through June 2021.

August 2006 - Carter & Burgess/Polshek Partnership Architects begin initial work on gathering data for the master planning process.

September 2006 - The Health Science Center holds the first of several open public meetings on campus, inviting the surrounding community to elicit comments and ideas about the future of the health science center and the surrounding neighborhoods.

January 2007 – The Health Science Center holds the next in the series of public meetings on campus to update interested community members on the campus master plan, as well as to allow the community a forum in which to voice concerns about and recommendations for the Master Plan.

May 2007 – The Health Science Center holds the final public meeting on campus to allow community members an opportunity to view the proposed final master plan concepts. An open forum was held to allow community members to comment on the plan and make recommendations.

August 2007 – The Health Science Center’s Final Master Facilities Plan is approved by the UNT Board of Regents. The Health Science Center was also given permission to begin the search for an architect for the first building, the Public Health Education building.

October 2007 – Bids are taken for a contractor to perform abatement in the former OMCT building. Jacobs, Carter & Burgess/Polshek Partnership Architects were awarded the contract, and the abatement process began.
January 2008 – Internal demolition begins on the OMCT building.

February 2008 – The Health Science Center holds a “Farewell” event for the OMCT to mark the day external demolition begins.