Six new buildings, including a new Dedman School of Law, are part of the proposed plan to move Dedman Law east of the North Central Expressway. The full plan includes a graduate housing tower, three research/office buildings and a residential tower.
According to both the SMU Interactive Map and Dallas Central Appraisal District records, SMU owns all land between the North Central Expressway and University Crossing Trail, starting at Fondren Drive and going south past Mockingbird Lane to the Beeman Hotel. The land is held under three separate accounts—Southern Methodist University, Peruna East Corporation and Mustang Mockingbird Properties.
More recent editions of the SMU Consolidated Financial Statement do not share the number of corporations that the University controls, but a 2015 and 2016 Consolidated Financial Statement shows that the Peruna East Corporation and Mustang Mockingbird Properties are two of nine corporations SMU accounted for in its financial reporting.
The remodeled campus would extend from SMU Boulevard to Fondren Drive, where SMU currently leases office space for businesses, including Cafe Brazil, BKS Iyengar Yoga Studio of Dallas, Park Cities Obedience School and Cowboy Fence.
A concept site plan with future phases and renderings of the new Dedman School of Law building shows a 50,000 square foot, four-level research/office building taking Cafe Brazil’s place. BKS Iyengar Yoga Studio of Dallas and Park Cities Obedience School’s shared office space would be converted into a five-story, 50,000 square foot research/office building.
The plan would also mean that certain SMU departments, including Development & External Affairs, Global and Online, Police, Copy Central and the Office of Risk Management, would be torn down and relocated. 6200 N. Central Expressway, which houses the Development & External Affairs office, has historically been used by student organizations during Homecoming to pomp their floats.
As for Dedman Law, the proposed campus looks to include a U-shaped, five-story building estimated to be over 300,000 square feet. The layout rendering includes a quad as well as a tempietto similar to the one that has been in Dedman’s courtyard, which has been at Dedman Law since 1959.
Christian MacDonald, a third-year law student at SMU, disagreed with the move on LinkedIn writing, “President Jay Hartzell, you’ve been at SMU less than one semester. SMU Dedman School of Law has stood here for 100 years. If you want to help, invest in the existing facilities. Otherwise, hands-off.”
MacDonald’s post sparked nearly 30 comments and over 40 reposts. Some issues MacDonald wrote about included lack of communication with students, increased crime on the other side of the North Central Expressway, the beauty of the current law quad and how the plan alienates alumni from supporting the school.
Directly across from the law school, SMU plans to build an 18-story graduate housing tower, the first of its kind on either campus. The proposed residential building would have 400 beds, 18 residential levels and six garage levels.
In addition to the graduate housing tower, a residential tower was included in the concept site plan, offering five garage levels and 19 residential levels. It is unclear whether the residential tower will be for graduate students only, or for undergrads and even incoming freshmen, as well.
Parking for the current Law Campus can be difficult for students. Most law students park in the Daniel Parking Lot on Daniel and Hillcrest Avenue. First-year law student Brynne Kelley said that those who don’t show up early for class to park were typically out of luck.
“If you’re not there by 8:15 [a.m.] you’re parking over yonder on campus, which is annoying because there’s no other close garage to the law school,” Kelley said. “I know a lot of people park in Snider Plaza, but our classes are two hours long, so you have to quickly go and move your car afterwards.”
Added parking, as well as the opportunity to live just a short walk across from the law school, could alleviate that struggle. The move impacts law professors as well, who will also be using the new parking lots.
In response to MacDonald’s LinkedIn post, Law Professor Marc Steinberg commented, “As one of the more senior members of our faculty— since 1989— I am very disappointed about this contemplated move of our Law School and very much oppose it as not being in the best interests of our Law School and our University.”
Alumni have weighed in as well, both on Instagram and LinkedIn. Taylor Kara Richards, a 2018 Dedman Law graduate and current Senior Legal Counsel for Digital Realty, said the move would harm SMU Law even more in national rankings in an Instagram comment.
“As an active alum, I won’t be donating anymore if the school decides to deprioritize the law school by taking this space on campus away,” Richards wrote in an Instagram comment.
Eric Palfreyman, a 2008 Dedman Law graduate, reposted the original article from The Daily Campus on LinkedIn, adding that he valued the community and beautiful campus during his time at the law quad.
“There is a certain pride and power in being connected with the traditions, heritage, and beauty of the main campus,” Palfreyman wrote. “To me, this would not be a move that would/will enhance the experience of the students, the status of the school, or the sense of status by many on the faculty.”
Other responses on The Daily Campus Instagram page were more positive about the move.
“It is good for the school’s reputation to expand,” wrote Matthew Rohleder, an MBA graduate from the SMU Cox School of Business.
Details regarding the cost and timeline of the project are still undisclosed. Stay updated for more details and updates from The Daily Campus.
