Texas A&M regents approve more than $500 million in new construction projects

Texas A&M has approved more than half-a-billion dollars in construction projects, including a new space exploration project.

Earlier this month, the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents approved over $500 million to expand educational and research facilities across the state.

The approval of these projects comes after the A&M System had a record $1.19 billion in spending approved by the Texas Legislature in 2023.

“This agenda not only underscores the great needs of the state and nation,” said Chancellor John Sharp in a press release. “It is only possible thanks to the foresight and commitment of our state leaders.”

$200 million was approved by the legislature to construct the Texas A&M University Space Institute near the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The research facility will assist in missions to the moon and Mars and will feature landscapes mimicking their respective surfaces–each the size of Kyle Field.

The four-story, 32-acre building will also include research “garages” for testing experimental robots and vehicles. It will also feature lab spaces, offices, classrooms and an auditorium. Construction is expected to begin in January 2025.

A&M regents also approved a $10 million hypersonic wind tunnel to be built at the Texas A&M-RELLIS campus in Bryan, Texas.

The wind tunnel is designed to provide large-scale aerodynamic testing and will be the largest academic facility of its kind in the nation. Construction is set to begin in December.

A new Small Animal Teaching Hospital was also approved. The $181 million facility will replace the existing building, which the university says it has outgrown.

Other projects approved include:

A $25.3 million training facility for the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), which is a provider of training and technical assistance in fire and rescue, infrastructure and safety, law enforcement, economic and workforce development, cybersecurity and homeland security. The 86-acre site at A&M-RELLIS will allow construction of an urban simulation grid, drive track, skills pad, props building and classrooms. The site also will eventually be the location for a future headquarters.

A $21.69 million state-of-the-art school for learners (ages six weeks through kindergarten) in San Antonio. The construction of Educare San Antonio will establish the first Educare school in Texas, joining a network of 25 birth-though-age 5 schools across the country. The lab-school will provide real-world experience for students at Texas A&M-San Antonio. Construction begins in December.

$10 million to support renovations to an existing softball facility and the construction of a multipurpose field and track at Texas A&M-San Antonio. Bexar County has agreed to reimburse the $10 million because the facilities will serve both the university and the community. Construction begins in December.