The Texas A&M University System (TAMUS), in partnership with The City of McAllen and Hidalgo County, desired to open a teaching center of Texas A&M University (Texas A&M) in McAllen, Texas that would grow and develop into a branch campus. The City of McAllen and the developer of the Tres Lagos development identified a 100- acre tract that was made available to the A&M System via a ground lease for the construction of a Higher Education Center. The McAllen Higher Education Center, a building for Texas A&M University at McAllen, is the first building at the new McAllen location. The facility contains multi-use spaces and includes shared facilities that support interdisciplinary programs. The building includes a lecture hall, mid-size and small general classrooms to support both core curriculum and program specific classes, lab spaces for wet, dry, engineering, technology and education classes, administrative offices for administrative personnel, faculty, staff, teaching assistants, security and operations, parking, site development and utilities on the site.