Medical Center of the Americas
The Medical Center of the Americas (MCA) campus is a large 440 acre area in south El Paso bounded by Interstate 10, Paisano Drive, and Boone Street. It includes the University Medical Center (formerly Thomason Hospital), the new El Paso Children's Hospital, the Texas Tech Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, and several private properties. The MCA is a collaborative effort between many stakeholders including the County of El Paso, the City of El Paso, Texas Tech University, and UTEP, to create a unified medical campus which benefits the entire region.
The University of Texas at El Paso adopted its master plan in 2011. It is a long-term vision which transforms the university by realigning streets, removing vehicular traffic from the campus core, and adding over four million square feet of building space.
Planning Principles
The following ideas underlie the design of the Campus Master Plan:
- Architecture and landscape are to define and articulate space
- The Campus Core will become a predominately pedestrian zone
- New facilities will reflect the campus's Bhutanese architectural heritage
- The campus's landscape will draw upon desert ecosystems while offering oases of shade and greenery
- Natural features of the campus will be protected and enhanced
Recommendations of the Plan
These Goals and Planning Principles are manifested in five major recommendations for the UTEP campus:
- Private vehicles will be excluded from the Core Campus
- Shading devices will be incorporated into new buildings and along pedestrian paths and open spaces
- Memorial Triangle will be enlarged and enhanced as the University's primary outdoor gathering space
- The campus's network of pedestrian paths will be strengthened and improved
- The Arroyo will be transformed into a unique, positive campus feature
UTEP Master Plan website: http://masterplan.utep.edu/