TSTC Holds Option on Taylor Facility
The 330,000 square foot industrial building on the northeast corner of Carlos Parker Boulevard and Highway 79 has been dormant for nearly five years, but a pending contract between building owners and Texas State Technical College could breathe new life into the facility.

The building drew interest from TSTC as it began searching for options to speed up the process of increasing educational opportunities in Taylor, and last week the two sides settled on an agreement in principle that lays the groundwork for speeding up the process.

“We have an option with the owners to purchase a portion of the building.” TSTC Vice President of Administration and Financial Services Paul Woodfin said. “We could be closing in early spring assuming we get agreements with all partners in place.”

The agreement is for a set price per square foot to purchase about 230,000 square feet of the 330,00 square foot facility. Woodfin said the remaining would be retained by the buildings owners and set aside for green industries looking for smaller space.

The option is appealing as well because TSTC and Temple College will be providing education and job training for green technology industries on site.

The announcement was exciting for the Temple College at Taylor board, as it helps overcome funding hurdles that have slowed the process for the original EWCHEC facility planned for construction near the new high school.

The original plan would have constructed a 25,000 square foot facility with six classrooms and two workshops. The new plan would open up more than 200,000 square feet of space for TSTC, Temple College, Legacy Early College High School and other educational partners.

“It is exciting from the standpoint of how quickly we will be able to offer new classes,” TCAT foundation board president Thomas Martinez said. “This will allow everyone to expedite their plans and efforts.”

The new plan has been met with both skepticism and optimism by the parties involved, but state representative Diana Maldonado said she supported any plan that kept the core goal in place for EWCHEC and remained fiscally responsible.

“With any plan you are going to have some modifications,” she said. “To me the important thing is you keep all of the players informed and continue to get input as you are changing the plan.”

TSTC has been in close contact with the other original funding partners for EWCHEC - the City of Taylor, Taylor EDC, TISD and the TCAT Foundation - on working out a new agreement for financial participation.

“We have been in discussions off and on with all the partners, and hope to make actual proposals to them in January,” Woodfin said.

He said the financial contribution requests will be similar to plans in place previously for the EWCHEC phase one building.

The proposal has been well received, though no agreements have been worked out.

“No one voiced any great concerns I could tell over issues not being addressed,” Martinez said. “I am not sure everyone understands what role each of the partners will have and still have those questions. Agreements would have to be redrafted legally and approved by all the partner boards.”

The potential new plan has been welcomed by Temple College, which is looking forward to increasing educational opportunities as well.

“It’s going to be the fulfillment of a dream that this community had back in 1998 of creating a multiple institutional teaching center,” Executive Dean for East Williamson County Higher Education Center Chuck McCarter said.

The original plan for the phase one facility located near the new high school was hampered by few funding options, something the financial partners have been working on for some time. For TSTC, the goal in the end is to offer new educational opportunities in Taylor as soon as possible.

“One of our frustrations has been that because of the financial situation we are not yet teaching anything here but dual credit with the high schools,” Woodfin said. “That’s good, but what we want to do is to be able to help get some real economic development going here by providing a trained workforce in cooperation with Temple College.”

TSTC hopes to close on the property in the spring and open with some classes in the fall 2010.