The @UTSystem Board of Regents is allocating $37 million in funding to revitalize our campus and support record enrollment. The future of SFA is looking brighter than ever! Read more at https://t.co/HKeIgTeQIC.

Join the campus master plan open house 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 9 in… pic.twitter.com/3sL0QHssJ8

— Stephen F. Austin State University (@SFASU) August 27, 2025

wawwhite said:

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If it is for entrepreneurship, why not expand the COB building? Regardless, UT affiliation is proving to be beneficial.

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Weaver explained that he wanted entrepreneurship to be integrated with all colleges.

The future of SFA is taking shape, and you’re invited to take a peek! 👀🗺️🏗️

Join us for the Campus Master Plan Open House tomorrow in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Regents' Suite B. Stop by anytime between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. for a come-and-go viewing, then join us at 5:30… pic.twitter.com/SJ9NlwhJLs

— Stephen F. Austin State University (@SFASU) September 8, 2025

New Map Drop (August 13th)
https://www.sfasu.edu/sites/default/files/campus-master-plan-draft-illustrative-plan.webp

People seemed to be concerned about Stone Fort being moved. I assume it would go Downtown which sucks it won't be on campus anymore but I'm not sure what the better plan would be.

Ignorant question on my part. Does the master plan show what is planned and will be built or what we would like to be built?

Is that moving the football field itself or the stuff around it?

Things I like, moving to parking garages and closing east college allows for a lot more green space on campus, which I think will make the campus even more beautiful. New science building will be incredibly nice.

I didn't expect them to find a spot for baseball/softball there, but I can see it. Those will be incredibly expensive projects though.

I'm still made we didn't acquire more of the southwest corner of campus when given the opportunity. Just an absolutely boneheaded move.

I'm kind of surprised the main quad didn't get more attention, but I suppose those buildings are serviceable.

I don't have a strong opinion on the fort tbh, as long as they do plan to successfully relocate it. It could be a good draw for downtown area, if downtown has the space for something like that.

I think it was cool to walk past on campus, but I've only ever been in once. But it has been on campus nearly as long as there's been a campus.

If I had won the powerball and you had asked me what to do with it, I'd have found a way to perch it in the new caddy cornered space on the NW end of the football field. Then I'd have went with that stone cladding on any new football facilities so they looked like they'd been around a good long time.

And I'd have a little plaza facing the visitors stands so you could have Ol Cotton out front. I know, two different eras, but that would look iconic.

Also I'd hope to see more trees around the new football/soccer/track facilities. If you bring the forest up real close like App State, it gives it a real great look.

SFAJack_76 said:

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wawwhite said:

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Ignorant question on my part. Does the master plan show what is planned and will be built or what we would like to be built?

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Next steps of this 15 year plan, are cost estimates and priorities. This is expected to be completed by year end. Each major job will have to be presented to the UT System Board for approval.

Expect the top priority to be student housing. Student housing is paid for by revenue bonds. The bonds are paid for by the revenue from the students living in the dorm.

The A, B, C letter on student housing and parking garages does not indicate a priority ranking. They are simply tags for those facilities to be referred to as.

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So obviously UT has to approve, but in general the thought it that all this would be built.

Goodness that has to be like 200+ million in construction. That is awesome for SFA.

NacMan said:

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Because of the way the Stone Fort is constructed, with irregularly-shaped rocks mortared together to form walls, there is no viable way to "relocate" it. You can't just pick it up like a wood-framed Amish barn and carry it down North street. The only way it can be accomplished is by tearing it down and building a copy elsewhere. If that is what SFA chooses to do as part of their master plan, then so be it. That's up to SFA leadership.

But tearing it down and building a copy does not "preserve" the Stone Fort in any sense.

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It is already a copy.

"The Perkins family dismantled the building in 1902, but some of its original stones were preserved by Cum Concilio, a civic organization in Nacogdoches. In 1907, the club used the stones for a small building in Washington Square.
Decades later, the New Deal economic program of the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration provided funding for the construction of a replica of the old fort on the grounds of Stephen F. Austin State College. Dedication ceremonies were held October 16, 1936."

wahlwesle said:

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NacMan said:

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Because of the way the Stone Fort is constructed, with irregularly-shaped rocks mortared together to form walls, there is no viable way to "relocate" it. You can't just pick it up like a wood-framed Amish barn and carry it down North street. The only way it can be accomplished is by tearing it down and building a copy elsewhere. If that is what SFA chooses to do as part of their master plan, then so be it. That's up to SFA leadership.

But tearing it down and building a copy does not "preserve" the Stone Fort in any sense.

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It is already a copy.

"The Perkins family dismantled the building in 1902, but some of its original stones were preserved by Cum Concilio, a civic organization in Nacogdoches. In 1907, the club used the stones for a small building in Washington Square.
Decades later, the New Deal economic program of the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration provided funding for the construction of a replica of the old fort on the grounds of Stephen F. Austin State College. Dedication ceremonies were held October 16, 1936."

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This is true, but it is an 89-year old 1936 Texas Centennial celebration building which has its own historical significance. A new copy built in the 2020s would have zero historical significance.

I'm not saying we should save the Stone Fort at all costs, but we should at least be straightforward about what it means to tear it down.

TallTexan said:

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SFAJack_76 said:

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wawwhite said:

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Ignorant question on my part. Does the master plan show what is planned and will be built or what we would like to be built?

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Next steps of this 15 year plan, are cost estimates and priorities. This is expected to be completed by year end. Each major job will have to be presented to the UT System Board for approval.

Expect the top priority to be student housing. Student housing is paid for by revenue bonds. The bonds are paid for by the revenue from the students living in the dorm.

The A, B, C letter on student housing and parking garages does not indicate a priority ranking. They are simply tags for those facilities to be referred to as.

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So obviously UT has to approve, but in general the thought it that all this would be built.

Goodness that has to be like 200+ million in construction. That is awesome for SFA.

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The thought is that it will be built, but a lot can change over 15 years.

$200 million is way low for all of this. It is several multiples of that. If, you are just referring to athletics, you're n the neighborhood.

Let's really hope UT stays rich for the next two decades.

Sadly the modern world cares little for history or things of the past. Somewhat hard to believe that the Master planners couldn't have worked around that small area and left the Stone Fort alone-even though it isn't the actual SF. Has value to some folks just for the Texas history part.

Is there a link available for those of us who cannot attend the open house to gain a better perspective of the plan? From what I could gather from the news articles, the football field appears to be smaller. I could be wrong. Additionally, I believe that with some architectural creativity, a new science facility can be designed without the need to remove the Stone Fort.

Never mind, I found it.

Open the links under September 9, meeting. https://www.sfasu.edu/masterplan/meetings

SFAJack_76 said:

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Open the links under September 9, meeting. https://www.sfasu.edu/masterplan/meetings

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Looking at some of those concept drawings I know its just a vision but gosh dang its a whole new university.

wawwhite said:

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I really like what I see so far. The UT system is making a lot of effort investing resources into SFA. I honestly don't think the other systems would have. I did notice that Homer Bryce has a reduced seating capacity, but it does look nice. I would like to see more space earmarked for academic buildings to house programs that currently don't have dedicated space.

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The actual percentage of space used at SFA is near the bottom for public universities in Texas. We need to rehabilitate and repurpose some of our existing space imho.


One report had us around 75% of capacity (academic space), some as low as 35%.

Updated space design could be in order. Modernization . We have so much potential !

Thanks, 76. Obviously, I had no idea.

I want that baseball field! lol

Yea, that whole softball/baseball/tennis complex looks amazing. Actually the whole thing does when you think about it. I am curious what the cost will be for everything and then how they determine priority of what gets built first. From what needs it most category, then softball and baseball teams win hands down.

They should not have to keep playing where they are if they are truly trying to compete with other D1 schools for athletes. Next thing would be how long does it take to build out that baseball and softball complex? and finally when would they be able to start it

Landman said:

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Yea, that whole softball/baseball/tennis complex looks amazing. Actually the whole thing does when you think about it. I am curious what the cost will be for everything and then how they determine priority of what gets built first. From what needs it most category, then softball and baseball teams win hands down.

They should not have to keep playing where they are if they are truly trying to compete with other D1 schools for athletes. Next thing would be how long does it take to build out that baseball and softball complex? and finally when would they be able to start it

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I imagine football will take priority, just because it's football. Then I would assume baseball and softball.

I do wonder if SFA will play their home games at Nac or Lufkin HS the year it's being built though. I can't imagine Homer Bryce would be demolished and a whole new state of the art stadium would be able to be built and pass inspections in a single offseason.

wawwhite said:

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I'm interested in others' opinions on relocating the Stone Fort issue. Since the architects will be well-compensated, there should be enough creative expertise to both preserve the Stone Fort in place and construct a new Science Building.

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I guess I'm indifferent on the matter. Its a replica of the original but replica is old as 1936. I would assume the builders/architects have thought about this matter and won't just tear it down for no reason at all. I don't believe the sense that it will lose its Texas Historical Building status if it is moved.

I get the historical sense and the coolness but I think I only went into it once my whole time I was at SFA. Even though I remember people said its bad luck to go in and you won't graduate in four years..

In the end I hope they keep it. But at the same time I won't be heart broken if they do end up moving it to place where more people can enjoy and actually tour it instead of going to SFA campus for it.