Texas A&M Rec Center Set For $50 Million Enhancement At No Additional Student Costs

Texas A&M University’s Student Recreation Center will undergo major renovation and expansion to accommodate its growing student body, which now totals more than 50,000. The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, meeting in Galveston today, appropriated $50 million for the project.

The facility—popularly known as the “Rec”—was opened in 1995 and, since that time, the size of the student body has grown by 25 percent, university officials note. “Rec” users—new and repeat—total about 1.5 million annually.

Construction is expected to start in March and continue through late 2015, but officials who oversee operations at the facility emphasize it will remain fully open throughout the renovation/expansion project. They also stress the project will not require any increases in current fees. Funding will be made available through revenue bonds supported by the Recreational Sports Fee, officials said.

The project will increase activity and support space by 23 percent and provide significantly more opportunities for Aggies, officials note. Currently, the facility includes approximately 300,000 gross square feet of floor space.

The planned expansion, which will bring the total up to more than 413,000 gross square feet, will include more weight-room space and a two-court gymnasium expansion, along with new multi-purpose activity rooms. The center’s swimming pools and related equipment and areas are also scheduled for renovation.