Blinn Board of Trustees authorizes architectural contracts for Waller/Harris County Campus academic building and Brenham Campus sports and intramural zone

New facilities are among five construction projects approved at the February board meeting

February 20, 2025

During its regular meeting on Thursday, the Blinn College District Board of Trustees took the next steps toward a new academic building on the Blinn College-Waller/Harris County Campus and a sports and intramural zone on the Brenham Campus.

In October, Blinn announced that it had purchased 100 acres at 29638 FM 2920 in Waller that will serve as the College’s sixth campus. In Thursday’s meeting, the board authorized the College to negotiate and execute a contract with CannonDesign for architectural services related to a new academic building. That facility will be the first step in developing a comprehensive commuter campus offering academic and workforce training programs.

Trustees also authorized Blinn to negotiate and execute a contract with Pfluger Architects, Inc. for architectural services related to master planning and design of a sports and intramural zone on the Brenham Campus. The project is part of the Districtwide Facilities Master Plan the College established in 2021. That plan calls for a practice football field with artificial turf, competition soccer and softball fields, a putting/chipping green, and a 27,000-square-foot field house that contains sports offices, locker rooms, and training facilities.

In other action, trustees authorized Blinn to negotiate and execute contracts for:

• roof replacement at the J. Hal and Allyne Machat Music Facility on the Brenham Campus,
• water heater replacement at the Blinn College Park Apartments on the Brenham Campus,
• and mechanical repairs at Buildings A and G on the Bryan Campus.

In Thursday’s meeting, trustees also received enrollment, housing, and graduation reports from Dr. Becky McBride, Vice Chancellor for Student Services. In her report, McBride shared that Blinn enrolled 2,152 students during the winter minimester, an increase of 1.13% from the previous year. Preliminary figures for the spring semester showed an enrollment of 15,822, down 0.82% from the previous year.

Registration remains open for Blinn’s spring second 8-week term until classes begin on March 17.