East Texas A&M University - Event Center in Commerce, TX

East Texas A&M University - John Harris is registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for a new 65,000 square foot Event Center and Basketball Arena in Commerce. Located at Highway 24 and Culver Street in Hunt County, the project carries an estimated cost of $55,500,000. The filing, registered in November 2024, outlines a facility with a 2,500-seat capacity, a public plaza area, and 681 parking spaces. The owner of record is the Board of Regents of Texas A&M University, with M. Arthur Gensler Jr., & Associates, INC. serving as the design firm. Kimberly J Goss is the registered accessibility specialist for the project.

The project involves public funds and public land, placing it under the regulatory oversight required for such developments. The estimated cost per square foot is $854, which is above the county median of $170 for new construction filings. The scheduled build window of 580 days is longer than the county median of 225 days. The project cost is above the county median for its type, falling into the top quarter of similar filings. The median estimated cost for new construction in Hunt County is $850,000, with the middle half of projects ranging from $375,000 to $2,200,000.

Construction is scheduled to start in March 2025, with a completion date on the filing of October 2026. The lifecycle of this project shows that it was registered with TDLR in November 2024 with a target completion of October 2026; no plan review or inspection has been recorded since, so whether it proceeded is not confirmed in the public record. The TDLR status remains listed as Project Registered. Third-party sources have mentioned site work and paving, with one post by 100054513308336 noting that Contractor CT Excavating Inc. secured the groundwork contract.

The area profile for ZIP code 75428, according to U.S. Census ACS 2023 five-year estimates, shows a population of about 11,587. The median household income is $48,372, with 4,616 housing units. The median owner-occupied home value is $145,600, and housing is an even mix of owner- and renter-occupied. Hunt County unemployment rate (FRED, August 2026) was 4.6 percent, lower than a year earlier. The project represents a significant investment in the local infrastructure, with a scope that includes a mixed-use development component as noted in construction project listings.