Did you know?

On November 19, UT Arlington dedicated its College Park District with a grand celebration. Afterward, a record number of students, faculty, staff, and community members watched comedian Seth Meyers perform at College Park Center as part of the Maverick Speakers Series. To commemorate the most ambitious project in UT Arlington history, here are a few factoids about the new College Park District:

• The $160 million development spans more than 20 acres and creates a seamless link between UT Arlington and the downtown district.

• College Park Center has already hosted 23 graduations, two rap concerts, a wrestling “slammiversary,” a youth evangelization conference, an ESPN Friday Night Fight, a regional science fair, speakers such as Jeb Bush and Seth Meyers, and numerous basketball and volleyball games. It’s a hard-working facility.

• The 7,000-square-foot Dan Dipert University Welcome Center is expected to attract more than 20,000 visitors a year and features a 40‑seat circular theater, electronic display boards, a coffee bar, and a courtyard.

• The District has two residential complexes—The Lofts at College Park and Vandergriff Hall—which house a total of 601 students.

• The District boasts seven new restaurants: Pie Five Pizza Co., Coolberry Frozen Yogurt, Smiling Moose Deli, Digg’s Taco Shop, Pho Xpress, and (coming soon) GRIP Mediterranean Grill and Blaze’s Sports Grill.

• The 4.62‑acre Green at College Park is one of the first projects in the world to be certified according to the rigorous benchmarks of the Sustainable Sites Initiative™, a rating system for sustainable design in landscape and site development.

• And finally…the District provides 1,800 new parking spaces, a hot commodity at any university.