Texas A&M’s $53.5M McAllen research center will tackle water, food security and Valley health
The Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen, where a new $53.5 million AgriLife research center is planned. Courtesy of | Texas A&M University

Texas A&M is preparing to build a $53.5 million research center in McAllen aimed at some of the Rio Grande Valley’s biggest challenges: producing food with less water, improving health and nutrition, and protecting the food supply.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Rio Grande Valley Research Center will bring laboratories, clinical research space, and food-security research to the university’s growing McAllen campus, creating a regional hub where scientists can study problems specific to South Texas.

And the project is getting closer to construction.

New details filed Thursday with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation show the two-story center is expected to span 47,671 square feet, with construction scheduled to begin Feb. 23, 2027, and wrap up two years later.

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