TMG/Related and the two schools will now enter into an exclusive negotiating agreement that specifies the business terms of their relationship through pre-development activities. The work will include master planning and completing site entitlements in conformance with the California Environmental Quality Act.

Related Cos. president William Witte says the project "has the potential to become a model for sustainable development." NASA Ames Research Center Director S. Pete Worden says the development will assist NASA with R&D and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education "and help us bring forth new ideas in both education and technology to address the great challenges facing our nation."

The proposed 2000-household development will feature state-of-the-art housing, research and teaching laboratories, classrooms, and work environments built on new ground-up infrastructure to form an integrated, sustainable community. It is anticipated that over 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students ultimately will be accommodated in the combined educational programs at the site.