The UT System Board of Regents approved a series of expansions and renovations across the UT Austin campus on Thursday. 

The Board also approved the expansion of the Promise Plus plan, which guarantees free tuition and waived fees for undergraduates from families with an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less. The decision includes an immediate $35 million investment for campus implementation in all nine UT System institutions. 

President Jay Hartzell proposed several projects, including new building renovations in Robert A. Welch Hall. The $40 million renovations, which are planned to finish in 2027, include a buildout of the first and fifth floors with plans to build a high-performance laboratory space for research in physics and physical chemistry. 

“This project will further the strategic priorities of the College of Natural Sciences and aligns with our UT Austin Strategic Plan,” Hartzell said during the proposal meeting Wednesday. “It’s poised to finish the frontiers of energy and computer science by laying the foundation for novel computer chips, detectors, conductors and yet-to-be-conceived devices.” 

The committee also approved design development for the new McCombs building, including its construction, parking and site utilities. In November 2023, the committee approved the demolition of the Dobie Parking Garage. Hartzell said the second stage of approval addresses the construction of a new 17-story academic building with an underground parking garage in the same location. 

Hartzell said this second stage will cost around $400 million. He said construction is set to start in February 2025 and be completed in May 2028. 

Another approved request was for a $38.7 million increase in funding for the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Bellmont Hall renovation, raising the total cost to $118.7 million. Hartzell said the additional funding would expand renovations for the Kinesiology and Health Education department and create new space for the Texas Spirit program. 

The committee also authorized an over $116 million increase in total project cost for the Microelectronics Research Center Cleanroom expansion at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus. Hartzell said the increase in cost is necessary due to deferred maintenance throughout the entire building.