Sacramento State officials have quietly been in talks this year with a private developer about constructing a massive retail and housing complex on the south end of campus.

The Sacramento Bee reported that proposals called for the developer, Clark Realty Capital of Arlington, Va., to pay for all construction costs on the $300 to $500 million project and give the school a cut of revenue it generates.

The plan would need to be approved by the CSU Board of Trustees. The development may connect with the university’s ongoing Destination 2010 plan, which calls for building new facilities on-campus in order to improve the school’s image.

John Kepley, special assistant to Sac State President Alexander Gonzalez, said that the discussions were still preliminary and there was no timeframe for when the school would move forward with the proposal.

“We are always looking for opportunities that will benefit our students and help Sacramento State become a destination university,” Gonzalez said. “As with any proposal, we are examining the Clark plan and working to determine its benefits to the entire campus community. It’s still very early in the process.”

City officials told the Bee that if approved, the project could start construction as soon as 2012.

Sam Pearson can be reached at [email protected].