A&M–Central Texas Cuts Ribbon on CORE Building

Karen Clos,
Director of Communications and Media Relations –

At 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 7, Texas A&M University–Central Texas will cut the ribbon to officially open the Centralized Operational Reliability and Efficiency (CORE) building.

Funded through Senate Bill 52, the 34,369-square-foot facility will allow complete campus utility control, provide advanced security infrastructure, create much-needed storage capacity, and return valuable office space to Founder’s Hall.

Yet the significance of the CORE Building extends far beyond its day-to-day functions. University President Richard M. Rhodes plans to introduce the building by asking, “When is a building more than a building?”

The answer, he said, is when it becomes the lynchpin for future campus expansion, including a residence hall, athletics facilities, and other projects envisioned in the university’s long-term master plan.

A&M–Central Texas President Richard M. Rhodes, joined by The Texas A&M University System Executive Vice Chancellor Tracy Foster and university Chief Financial Officer Todd Lutz, will welcome area leaders, community members, elected officials, and representatives from Hoar Construction, PBK Architects, and Gonzalez Shaw Smith Engineering to celebrate the completion of the CORE Building.

The investment comes as the university and the region continue to experience significant growth. U.S. Census Bureau estimates place Bell County’s population at more than 400,000 residents, while A&M–Central Texas recently achieved enrollment and graduation milestones. Semester credit hours reached a record level in spring 2025, increasing 24.5% in two years, and the university awarded a record 430 degrees in May.

Texas A&M University–Central Texas serves a region that has added more than 100,000 residents since 2010, and it plans to keep pace with its first residence hall and a proposed NAIA athletic program.

University CFO Todd Lutz said the CORE Building brings together utility management, campus safety, emergency operations, and key infrastructure systems in a single location. Designed to improve efficiency, strengthen coordination, and support long-term reliability, the facility serves as the operational backbone of a growing university.

At the center of the building is a utilities plant that provides cooling, electrical distribution, and connectivity through a centralized system serving the entire campus. By reducing redundancy, improving efficiency, and creating additional capacity, the building establishes the infrastructure needed to support future expansion.

As the university continues to grow, the facility provides the foundation needed to support future academic buildings, residence halls, expanded campus amenities, intercollegiate athletics facilities, and other projects envisioned in the university’s long-term master plan. “The CORE Building serves the campus not only as it exists today, but as it will be tomorrow,” Rhodes said. “It strengthens our operations, increases our capacity, and positions the university for its next generation of growth.”