Help Save UTEP’s Historic Bhutanese Campus from the Wrecking Ball

You can help by signing our petition to preserve and protect UTEP's iconic Bhutanese buildings

Sign the petition

The historic 1949 Student Union Building designed by Percy McGhee is the first of nine iconic buildings on the list to be demolished.

The iconic Bhutanese Revival buildings at the heart of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) face an unprecedented threat. The 2024 Campus Master Plan proposes demolishing up to nine of these architectural landmarks, which have defined the university's unique character for over a century.

Constructed between 1917 and 1951, UTEP’s twenty Bhutanese Revival buildings make it a campus unlike any other in Texas—or even the nation. Designed by four distinguished El Paso architects, these structures are not only beautiful but enduring. Engineered with exceptional foresight and crafted with high-quality materials, they have weathered the decades and remain structurally sound.

Despite their over-engineered durability, these historic assets are now being targeted for replacement. In September 2024, UTEP’s student body voted to demolish the first of these, Percy McGhee’s 1949 Student Union Building, to make way for a new structure.

2024 Campus Master Plan approvedby the University of Texas System Board of Regents at their August 2024 meeting.

Fortunately, demolition is not the only option. These buildings can be renovated and repurposed while preserving their iconic exteriors, ensuring that future generations of students experience the unique blend of culture and history that UTEP embodies.

We urge you to support the preservation of UTEP’s historic core. Sign the petition to recall and revise the campus master plan, and help protect a campus heritage that stands as a testament to timeless architectural vision.

Help preserve these buildings for future generations of Miners and the Paso del Norte community. Sign the petition by clicking here.