The original site was only 402 acres and only extended as far west as the railroad. It was originally a magnesium plant during World War II and was owned by the United States government. Following the conclusion of the war, the site was declared surplus, and UT engineering professors C. Read Granberry and J. Neils Thompson sought to lease and eventually purchase the site for the University. The lease agreement was reached in 1946, and certain research projects began to be moved to the new campus. In 1949, with the help of then-Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson, the University purchased the site, now named the Off-Campus Research Center, from the federal government. In 1953, it became the Balcones Research Center, so named for the Balcones Escarpment which runs through that part of the city. Over the years, the University continued to develop the campus, whose tenants made significant contributions to research in the areas of defense, nuclear physics, and space flight. It received a clear title to the property in 1971, and in 1974 purchased another tract of land west of the railroad, bringing the site to its current area. The University again renamed the campus in 1994, this time for former Congressman and UT alumnus J. J. Pickle. When he was Austin's congressional representative, Pickle was instrumental in bringing major research efforts to the campus. Pickle died in 2005.
Campus
The Pickle Research Campus is not a full college campus: there are no dormitories, and most classes held there are for working professional programs. Other than normal campus operations and a cafeteria / conference center, it is strictly a research facility. Due to the sensitive nature of some of the research being done at the PRC, it is also a closed campus. On a normal weekday, access to the campus is restricted to University students, faculty, and staff with parking permits, as well as expected guests. After hours or on weekends, access is restricted to approved personnel only. A shuttle runs between the two campuses on weekdays. Many students and some faculty/staff, especially those living in north Austin, opt to park at PRC and ride the shuttle due to the limited parking on the main campus. Today, the campus houses approximately 100 buildings. Many of the campus's original 29 buildings, most of which were built in the early 1940s, are still in use today. The vast majority of the campus is contained on the original site. Additionally, part of the west tract between Loop 1 and US 183 has been leased to retailers such as Office Depot. In 2003, the UT SystemBoard of Regents and Simon Property Group reached a $130 million lease agreement under which Simon would build a shopping mall on 46 acres of unused PRC land along Loop 1 and across from another Simon Property Group venture - the Domain. Construction on the Arbor Walk began in 2005, with its first retail stores opening in October 2006. Despite all this, a significant amount of the campus remains undeveloped. While there are roads throughout the campus, many of them border empty plots of land. UT administrators have announced plans to eventually develop the PRC into a full-fledged campus, but they are only preliminary. Visitors will also observe numerous bluebonnets, the Texas state flower, at the PRC. They are visible outside the campus from Burnet Road, but can be found in various places throughout the site.
Research departments
- One of the first and largest departments to be located at the PRC.
- Research center focusing on electromagnetics, electromechanics, energy storage, and high performance energy conversion
- CEER is located in the Electromechanics and Energy Building
- Carries out advanced research, education, design and planning in water resources and environmental management in Texas, across the United States, and internationally.
