McAllen, TX (KRGV) — Texas A&M is expanding in McAllen with a new $50 million health education and research building, university leaders said.

The building will have classrooms and labs for the pharmacy technician program. University leaders said it also will support research focused on health and education in the Rio Grande Valley.

"Just in the last year, our student body has grown by 30%. So we're up to 650-plus students now, which sounds small. But when you're growing at 30% a year, you really have to try to stay just ahead of that growth curve with construction projects like these," Texas A&M University's McAllen campus Executive Director Will Wynn said.

Construction is scheduled to start in December 2026. University leaders expect the project to be finished in about two years.