College Station at the Center of Texas Growth: Mayor John Nichols on Managing Expansion, Innovation, and Opportunity

College Station at the Center of Texas Growth: Mayor John Nichols on Managing Expansion, Innovation, and Opportunity

College Station sits squarely in the middle of the Texas Triangle, but its influence reaches far beyond geography. In the latest episode of The Building Texas Show, host Justin McKenzie visits with John Nichols, Mayor of College Station, to explore how one of Texas’ most dynamic university cities is planning for its next decade of growth.

Home to nearly 80,000 students at Texas A&M University, College Station is a uniquely transient city—balancing the needs of long-term residents with a constantly renewing student population. Mayor Nichols describes a community that is growing by roughly 2,000 residents each year, fueled not only by students who choose to stay, but by faculty, researchers, biotech firms, and private-sector employers increasingly drawn to the region.

“College Station was once known primarily as a bedroom community for the university,” Nichols explains. “Today, we are a net private-sector employment city for the first time in our history.”

That shift did not happen by accident. The conversation highlights how the city’s economic development strategy is intentionally diversifying beyond education, with a growing emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation. Working alongside Texas A&M programs and external partners, the city is exploring adaptive reuse of existing facilities to create flexible startup and innovation hubs—lowering barriers for early-stage founders who need space, connectivity, and support to grow.

Mayor Nichols also addresses one of the city’s biggest structural challenges: access to capital. While talent and research flow freely through College Station, venture and growth capital remain concentrated in larger Texas metros. Regional collaboration, including partnerships that elevate the Brazos Valley’s profile, is central to the city’s long-term strategy.

Tourism plays a complementary role in College Station’s economic engine. From weekends that draw more than 100,000 visitors to Kyle Field, to sports tourism, midweek conferences, and cultural programming anchored by the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library, the city is leveraging hotel occupancy tax revenue to reinvest directly into marketing, infrastructure, and visitor services.

Looking ahead, Mayor Nichols points to vertical development, infill projects, and infrastructure planning as defining themes for the next decade. With limited annexation opportunities, the future of College Station will be shaped by density, transportation investment, and continued excellence in core services—from public safety to utilities.

The episode closes with a clear message: College Station’s growth story is not just about scale, but stewardship. As Texas A&M continues expanding its research footprint and attracting global talent, the city is positioning itself as a place where innovation, quality of life, and long-term planning move forward together.

The full interview with Mayor John Nichols is available now on The Building Texas Show on YouTube.