Wonder what the construction on the roof of the Girard Street Building is really about? And why suddenly the elevators in the One Main Building (OMB) now all open to the fifth floor? (If you are new to UHD, newly acquired access to the fifth floor is a big deal.) It’s all because of the Gator Expansion project. 

In 2021, the University of Houston-Downtown got the green light for its major “Gator Expansion” renovation project. Funded through a “C-CAP,” formerly called Tuition Revenue Bonds specifically for university infrastructure projects, the Gator Expansion was awarded $45 million by the state of Texas. 

Receipt of these funds requires a full assessment of space utilization, the impact on student success, and the university’s potential future enrollment growth.  “UHD determined that it could be much more strategic in its space management by grouping offices and people by function,” said Kim Thomas, UHD Vice President for Administration and Finance. “It was clear that students needed a “one-stop-shop” for all their needs.”  

“We are currently in Phase Two of Gator Expansion, which will allow all offices associated with Admissions to be in one place. We are adding a fourth floor to our Girard Street Building, originally built in 2016, so that we can move the offices for Financial Aid, Student Accounts and Cashiers, the Registrar, and Veteran Services to one place.”  The estimated completion date for Phase Two is August 2026. 

Once those offices are consolidated into one space, it will free up some offices on “Main Street,” the main hallway on the third floor of OMB, allowing the Student Health Center, Student Counseling Services, Accessible Education Center, and the Center for Career and Professional Development to move to a more central location to serve students better. Renovation of these spaces is Phase Three of the project.  

Phase One of Gator Expansion was completed earlier this year. The Office of Testing Services, previously on the third floor of the Girard Street Building, and the Academic Support Center, originally tucked away on the ninth floor of OMB, moved into new, contemporary spaces on the fifth floor of OMB, adjacent to the W.I. Dykes Library. Prior to this renovation, the library was only accessible from one bank of elevators; now the entire fifth floor is accessible by elevator for better utilization of the space by students. With this move, the Academic Support Center has already experienced a 73% increase in attendance! 

To learn more about how UHD is expanding its campus and its programming, visit uhd.edu/future.