COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M University is set to begin construction this month on one of its most ambitious projects to date — the $250 million Aplin Center, which will serve as both an academic hub and a new gateway to the College Station campus.
The Texas A&M Board of Regents officially approved the project, allocating $225 million for construction and associated costs while reaffirming a previous $25 million appropriation. Together, these funds will support the development of a three-story, 211,724-square-foot facility designed to elevate experiential learning and create a welcoming first impression for visitors.
The Aplin Center will focus on hands-on education in hospitality, retail, and food & nutrition sciences. According to university officials, the building will feature teaching laboratories and real-world venues such as spaces for viticulture and enology, fermentation, coffee roasting, product development, sensory evaluation, and meat and food science. It will also house fully functional retail and hospitality operations, providing students with immersive, industry-driven learning experiences.
As part of its role as the “new campus front door,” the facility will also include a Visitor Center equipped with a 170-seat theater, a 70-seat multipurpose room, ambassador support spaces, and staff offices. University leaders say the space will not only showcase Aggie traditions and achievements but also serve as a gathering place for prospective students, alumni, and community partners.
The center is named after Arch “Beaver” Aplin III, founder of the Buc-ee’s convenience store chain, who made a transformative $50 million gift in 2022 to support the project. His contribution is among the largest individual donations in university history.
“The Aplin Center will be a place where students learn by doing, where the public can experience the excellence of Aggie hospitality, and where visitors begin their journey into the heart of Texas A&M,” the university said in its announcement.
Construction is scheduled to start in September 2025, with substantial completion expected by February 2028.
The project highlights Texas A&M’s push to expand beyond traditional classrooms by embedding real-world, industry-relevant experiences into student education, while also reshaping the physical and cultural landscape of the College Station campus.
Originally reported by Mike Kennedy in American School and University.
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