A report from Nashville Business Journal revealed that Vanderbilt University is in discussions with San Francisco officials about establishing a presence in the city’s downtown, potentially marking the latest step in the Nashville-based institution’s national expansion strategy.

The talks were first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, which noted that San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has been actively courting university partners as part of a broader plan to revitalize the city’s downtown core. Among those efforts, Vanderbilt has emerged as the most promising prospect.

“Vanderbilt is always exploring new opportunities to expand our impact and further our mission,” the university said in a statement to the Business Journal. “We recognize the long-term global leadership of San Francisco and its ever-growing potential, defined by a vibrant culture, dynamic innovation ecosystem and the talent drawn to its leading technology companies and top-caliber arts and cultural institutions.”

Lurie, who took office earlier this year, has made downtown recovery a cornerstone of his administration. Bringing a prestigious academic institution into the city, he said, could help boost foot traffic and economic activity.

“Our administration is working every day to create a clean, safe and thriving downtown — one that draws people, businesses and investments back to our city,” Lurie told the Chronicle. “Welcoming a world-class university like Vanderbilt would bring new energy downtown, and we will continue working to make that happen.”

While the university and city officials have yet to finalize a location or announce specific programs, Vanderbilt described the potential move as part of a broader strategy to strengthen its presence in key national markets.

“Complementing our growth initiatives in New York City, West Palm Beach and at home in Nashville, we aim to create unique student experiences, fuel pathbreaking research and foster close connection to the ideas and companies that will lead the next generation of the nation’s economy,” the university said.

Vanderbilt has been pursuing an aggressive expansion in recent years. In June, Chancellor Daniel Diermeier unveiled long-term plans for a mixed-use innovation district on 40 acres of Vanderbilt’s west Nashville campus. The university is also developing a $520 million satellite campus in West Palm Beach, focused on artificial intelligence and innovation, and operates a 2.2-acre campus in Manhattan with 13 buildings.

Despite growing challenges in higher education, Diermeier emphasized the university’s commitment to growth.

“We also don’t want to forget that with all the challenges, there’s opportunities as well,” he told the Business Journal in a June interview. “You’ve got to be able to do multiple things simultaneously, and my job is to make sure we identify those opportunities, and we take advantage of them… We’re not slowing this down.”