By Terrance Gilbert/reporter

TR Campus’ weeklong five-year anniversary celebration ended Oct. 11 with a community conversation about its history and impact.

The TR Campus opened in 2009 to serve students in the central core of Tarrant County.

“A lot of planning dating back to the early 1990s went into what eventually became the TR Campus,” Chancellor Erma Johnson Hadley said. “Everything just fell into place with us ending up on what was originally built as RadioShack’s global headquarters. You just won’t find another campus like this.”

Nathaniel Peoples, a current TR student, and Jessica Hover, a TR alumna, moderated the conversation.

“In the early days of planning, I sat with the architects to plan each and every step of the campus,” TR President Tahita Fulkerson said. “I wanted to ensure the students had the best possible facility to learn and, most importantly, become successful. We placed a lot into recruiting the best of faculty and staff.”

Asusena Resendiz, president of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said having TCC downtown impacts virtually every aspect of business.

“Businesses understand you have thousands of student mixed with professionals,” Resendiz said. “That means revenue for Fort Worth and Tarrant County. The commerce specializes in assisting business with training programs. We are glad to have the opportunity to partner with TCCD in order to make a difference in our local economy.”