Taylor foundation donates 68 acres for new University of Texas facility near Samsung

Claire Osborn, Austin American-Statesman
Updated ·2 min read
1
The University of Texas has received a donation of 68 acres near Samsung in Taylor to be used as a research center.
The University of Texas has received a donation of 68 acres near Samsung in Taylor to be used as a research center.

A foundation has donated 68 acres for a new University of Texas research facility in Taylor near a new Samsung plant, officials said.

The University of Texas-Taylor Center will be built on land adjacent to Taylor High School on U.S. 79, according to a news release from the city. It is a gift from the Temple College at Taylor Foundation, a nonprofit established by Taylor residents to provide higher education in the city, the release said.

More: Why Samsung semiconductor plant in Taylor is receiving $6.4 billion from federal CHIPS Act

The center will be near Samsung, which is building a $17 billion semiconductor facility in the area. UT announced the donation Thursday.

“Advancing innovation, growing education and cultivating leadership in the semiconductor space is a major area of focus for the University of Texas, and we are excited to have a presence in the burgeoning Taylor community and the opportunity to further shape the expanding footprint of the semiconductor ecosystem in Central Texas,” UT President Jay Hartzell said in a news release.

The Texas Institute for Electronics is considering using the site for training and research with semiconductor partners, the release said. The university is working on the master plan for the center that will initially focus on research, said Amanda Irving, UT's vice president of philanthropy.

More: Downtown developments in Taylor, including hotels, get grants from city corporation

The former director of the Taylor Economic Development Corporation, John B. Nelson, was instrumental in buying the land where the center will be located, the city news release said. Nelson helped start the Temple College at Texas Foundation, which bought the land around 2004, said Nelson' wife, Rosemary Hauser, who is board member of the foundation.

"We purchased that land years ago for the sole purpose of having a higher education center adjacent to the high school," Hauser said on Friday. "Having UT as a partner is a dream that has come true. They are such a first-class university."

Taylor Mayor Brandt Rydell presents a plaque Thursday to John B. Nelson, a former economic development director who initially bought the 68 acres donated last week to the University of Texas.
Taylor Mayor Brandt Rydell presents a plaque Thursday to John B. Nelson, a former economic development director who initially bought the 68 acres donated last week to the University of Texas.

Taylor Mayor Brandt Rydell said the center was a "fitting legacy" for Nelson's efforts. “Dr. Nelson really was a visionary for our city’s future," Rydell said in the release. "The city is thrilled to welcome the University of Texas at Austin. UT’s presence in our vibrant, growing community with the Taylor Center will provide even more opportunities for future generations and help solidify the City’s place as a center for progress and enrichment in Williamson County and the State of Texas."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Foundation gives 68 acres to UT for facility near Samsung in Taylor