COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents has approved construction of a state-of-the-art research center for Texas A&M AgriLife in McAllen.
The $53.5 million, 43,500 square foot center will be built at the Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen. The research will focus on local health and dietary needs, improved agricultural productivity for low-water environments and the biosecurity of food systems.
The project is part of a $1.9 billion 2026–2030 System Capital Plan authorized by the A&M System regents.
“The new research center will strengthen Texas A&M’s presence in the Rio Grande Valley by pairing world-class research with student-centered opportunities that address the region’s agricultural, health and workforce needs,” Ernie Aliseda, associate vice president and chief operating officer of the Higher Education Center at McAllen.
Jeffrey W. Savell, vice chancellor and dean of Agriculture & Life Sciences, said the facility design will include flexible infrastructure to respond to rapidly evolving agricultural and public health challenges. The planned features, he said, include:
“Food security is national security, and the research at this facility will help ensure we keep Texas and the rest of the nation secure and healthy,” Savell said, in a press release.
“This center will advance our land-grant mission to bring research, teaching, extension and service together to solve urgent challenges facing producers and communities — in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond.”
G. Cliff Lamb is director of AgriLife Research. In a press release he emphasized the importance of delivering tangible results for South Texas.
“The new research center will create a powerful platform for AgriLife Research and the Higher Education Center at McAllen to directly address the needs of the Rio Grande Valley,” Lamb said.
“By bringing together world-class scientists, modern facilities and regional partnerships, we will deliver practical, science-based solutions for agriculture, health and food security across South Texas.”
The press release said that, in addition, AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen “are further partnering to create student-centered spaces that will support the campus’s continued enrollment growth.”
Texas A&M University System Chairman Board Chairman Robert Albritton said the 2026–2030 System Capital Plan is a $6.6 billion roadmap that includes $1.925 billion in new proposed projects over the next five years and authorizes up to $83.1 million for 2026 pre-construction activities.
In the coming year alone, he said, the A&M System will initiate $830.6 million in projects.
“This plan maps the Regents’ vision for prudent, steady growth. We are expanding capacity where demand is surging, replacing aging infrastructure and investing in labs, clinics and safety facilities that deliver value for students, researchers and every region we serve,” Albritton said. “By phasing projects, matching the right funding source to each need, and insisting on rigorous oversight, we are protecting affordability while building for the long run.”
Chancellor Glenn Hegar thanked state leaders for their continued confidence in the System.
“We are grateful to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker and the Texas Legislature for sustained investment in the A&M System,” Hegar said. “This blueprint focuses on students and research, and it positions the A&M System to serve more students and strengthen the Texas economy for decades.”
Texas A&M University (College Station) – $595.1M proposed projects
• Biology Teaching & Research Building – $220M
• Center for Learning Arts & Innovation – $235M
• Discovery Drive Parking Garage – $103.86M
• Academic Building Exterior Restoration (addition) – $20.2M (total $30M)
• Fowler, Hughes & Schuhmacher Halls Plumbing Riser Replacement – $10.7M
• Penberthy Turf Replacement – $5.3M
Texas A&M University at Galveston
• Additional funding for the Infrastructure, Dock Improvements & Ship FF&E Phase II – $5M (total $77.5M)
• Additional funding for the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital & Educational Outreach Center – $4M (total $21M)
Texas A&M Health
• Medical Sciences Library (Level 1 Renovations) – $11.6M
Tarleton State University
• Innovation Lab – $48M
West Texas A&M University (contingent on FEMA approval)
• Multipurpose Tornado-Safe Building & Shelter – $13.99M
Texas A&M University–Texarkana (contingent on FEMA approval)
• Storm Shelter/Safe Room – $16.40M
East Texas A&M University
• Renovate One-Stop / University Police Dept. Building – $9.5M
Texas A&M University–Victoria
• Building Renovations & Campus Infrastructure – $9.245M
(Note: Certain Victoria financings are issued through the University of Houston System’s combined program.)
Texas A&M AgriLife Research
• Rio Grande Valley Research Center at McAllen – $53.5M
System Offices / Texas A&M–Fort Worth
• Additional funding for the Law & Education Building – $24M (project total $227.5M)
RELLIS Campus
• Campus Sewer Improvements – $12.126M
These projects will be financed through a mix of Revenue Financing System (RFS) debt ($491.0 million), Permanent University Fund (PUF) debt ($207.4 million), and cash sources ($132.2 million) such as the Available University Fund (AUF), Higher Education Fund (HEF), gifts, grants and other local funds.
The five-year plan totals $6.6 billion, including $4.6 billion in previously approved projects now in design or construction. After $1.4 billion in cumulative expenditures through May 2025, $3.3 billion remains to be expended on approved work.
New proposed projects over 2026–2030 total $1.925 billion: $794.7 million (RFS debt), $432.4 million (PUF debt), and $698.3 million (cash and other sources).
Approval authorizes institutions to begin pre-construction steps and minor construction/rehab/equipment projects in 2026, with each major project returning to the Board for final scope/budget and construction approval.
