Officials at Texas A&M-Texarkana will break ground today (June 7) on two new buildings on campus.

The groundbreaking for the new student recreation and wellness center and an academic and student success building  will begin this afternoon at 4PM on the A&M-Texarkana campus at 7101 University Ave., Texarkana, Texas.

Notable guest speakers include the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Joe Straus of San Antonio, Rep. Gary VanDeaver of New Boston, A&M University System Regent Judy Morgan of Texarkana, A&M University Chancellor John Sharp of College Station, and A&M-Texarkana President Dr. Emily Cutrer.

The $32 million, 58,000-square-foot academic and student success building will house a recently expanded nursing program, business programs, academic classrooms, laboratories and support services for students. The building will accommodate enrollment growth, particularly in science and health-affiliated disciplines that require specialized laboratory space. The project was made possible through the approval of funding by the 84th Texas Legislature in 2015.

The $11 million, 38,000-square-foot student recreation and wellness center will be the home of the university’s new kinesiology program, a regulation-sized intercollegiate basketball/volleyball court that will double as space for recreational and intercollegiate sports, retractable bleachers, classrooms, locker rooms, a training room for student-athletes, and offices for faculty and staff. Through a public-private partnership, Eagle Lake Development of Texarkana, Texas, is working with A&M-Texarkana on construction of the center. A&M-Texarkana is raising funds to furnish and equip the building.

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