AUSTIN, Texas — A 101-year-old building at the University of Texas will be transformed into a place to study civic leadership.

On Thursday, state leaders and the University of Texas Board of Regents announced a $100 million investment in a permanent space for UT’s School of Civic Leadership. The Board of Regents created the School of Civic Leadership in 2023.

The money will be used to renovate UT’s Biological Laboratories Building.

The goal of the school is to teach a new generation of leaders about the philosophical, economic and historical understanding that supporters say is needed to preserve constitutional democracy.

Gov. Abbott applauded the announcement, saying Thursday that he believes it’s important that the State of Texas and the university are leaders in teaching “classic civics.”

“To say the least, there’s been a dramatic departure from those principles and precepts over the past one or two decades that has been to the detriment of this university, our state and our country,” Abbott said Thursday. “We need to get back on the pathway of ensuring that we’re educating our students with the leading concepts that have led to the great country we are.”

The renovated building is expected to be complete by 2028.