diff --git a/Templating.sln b/Templating.sln
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5d45596c68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Templating.sln
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+
+Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00
+# Visual Studio 15
+VisualStudioVersion = 15.0.26730.0
+MinimumVisualStudioVersion = 15.0.26124.0
+Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "Templates", "src\Templates.csproj", "{1CAB59EF-8E8F-4708-8579-3F5B2D33EB90}"
+EndProject
+Global
+	GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution
+		Debug|Any CPU = Debug|Any CPU
+		Release|Any CPU = Release|Any CPU
+	EndGlobalSection
+	GlobalSection(ProjectConfigurationPlatforms) = postSolution
+		{1CAB59EF-8E8F-4708-8579-3F5B2D33EB90}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
+		{1CAB59EF-8E8F-4708-8579-3F5B2D33EB90}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
+		{1CAB59EF-8E8F-4708-8579-3F5B2D33EB90}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
+		{1CAB59EF-8E8F-4708-8579-3F5B2D33EB90}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
+	EndGlobalSection
+	GlobalSection(SolutionProperties) = preSolution
+		HideSolutionNode = FALSE
+	EndGlobalSection
+	GlobalSection(ExtensibilityGlobals) = postSolution
+		SolutionGuid = {E9B27B0D-4F85-431B-9C26-80CFE4393D36}
+	EndGlobalSection
+EndGlobal
diff --git a/build/common.props b/build/common.props
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fd9606610c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build/common.props
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<Project>
+  <Import Project="..\version.xml" />
+
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <PackageOutputPath Condition="'$(PackageOutputPath)' == ''">$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)..\artifacts\</PackageOutputPath>
+    <PackageVersion Condition="'$(VersionSuffix)' == ''">$(VersionPrefix)</PackageVersion>
+    <PackageVersion Condition="'$(VersionSuffix)' != ''">$(VersionPrefix)-$(VersionSuffix)</PackageVersion>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ItemTemplates/build.csproj b/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ItemTemplates/build.csproj
index b45c2bf4cb..96533dceba 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ItemTemplates/build.csproj
+++ b/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ItemTemplates/build.csproj
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
-  <Import Project="..\..\Version.props" />
+  <Import Project="..\..\build\common.props" />
   <PropertyGroup>
     <TargetFramework>netstandard1.0</TargetFramework>
     <NuspecFile>$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)\Templates.nuspec</NuspecFile>
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@
   </PropertyGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <PackageReference Remove="Microsoft.NETCore.App" />
-    <Compile Remove="$(GitInfoFile)" />
-    <Compile Remove="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)../../src/GitInfo.cs" />
     <None Remove="**/*.csproj" />
   </ItemGroup>
 </Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ProjectTemplates.1.x/build.csproj b/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ProjectTemplates.1.x/build.csproj
index 420344ce42..47aeb59abe 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ProjectTemplates.1.x/build.csproj
+++ b/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ProjectTemplates.1.x/build.csproj
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
-  <Import Project="..\..\Version.props" />
+  <Import Project="..\..\build\common.props" />
   <PropertyGroup>
     <TargetFramework>netstandard1.0</TargetFramework>
     <NuspecFile>$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)\Templates.nuspec</NuspecFile>
@@ -14,7 +14,5 @@
   </PropertyGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <PackageReference Remove="Microsoft.NETCore.App" />
-    <Compile Remove="$(GitInfoFile)" />
-    <Compile Remove="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)../../src/GitInfo.cs" />
   </ItemGroup>
 </Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ProjectTemplates.2.0/build.csproj b/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ProjectTemplates.2.0/build.csproj
index 420344ce42..47aeb59abe 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ProjectTemplates.2.0/build.csproj
+++ b/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ProjectTemplates.2.0/build.csproj
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
-  <Import Project="..\..\Version.props" />
+  <Import Project="..\..\build\common.props" />
   <PropertyGroup>
     <TargetFramework>netstandard1.0</TargetFramework>
     <NuspecFile>$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)\Templates.nuspec</NuspecFile>
@@ -14,7 +14,5 @@
   </PropertyGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <PackageReference Remove="Microsoft.NETCore.App" />
-    <Compile Remove="$(GitInfoFile)" />
-    <Compile Remove="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)../../src/GitInfo.cs" />
   </ItemGroup>
 </Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Template.proj b/src/Template.proj
deleted file mode 100644
index acc6e55c59..0000000000
--- a/src/Template.proj
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-<Project ToolsVersion="15.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
-  <Import Project="..\Version.props" />
-
-  <PropertyGroup>
-    <PackOutput Condition="'$(PackOutput)' == ''">$(TemplatesFolder)</PackOutput>
-    <UpdateToNoTimestamp Condition="'$(UpdateToNoTimestamp)' == ''">false</UpdateToNoTimestamp>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-
-  <ItemGroup>
-    <TemplatePack Include="Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ItemTemplates" />
-    <TemplatePack Include="Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ProjectTemplates.1.x" />
-    <TemplatePack Include="Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ProjectTemplates.2.0" />
-  </ItemGroup>
-
-  <Target Name="Update" Condition="'$(UpdatePackageSources)' != ''">
-    <Message Text="Updating packages..." Importance="High" />
-    <Message Text="dotnet exec ..\tools\DependencyUpdater\bin\debug\netcoreapp1.1\DependencyUpdater.dll &quot;$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)&quot; $(UpdateToNoTimestamp) $(UpdatePackageSources)" Importance="High" />
-    <MSBuild Targets="Restore;Build" Projects="..\tools\DependencyUpdater\DependencyUpdater.csproj" />
-    <Exec 
-         Command="dotnet run $(MSBuildThisFileDirectory) $(UpdateToNoTimestamp) $(UpdatePackageSources)" 
-         WorkingDirectory="..\tools\DependencyUpdater\" />
-  </Target>
-
-  <Target Name="Build" Outputs="%(TemplatePack.Identity)" DependsOnTargets="Update">
-    <MSBuild Targets="Restore;Pack" Projects="%(TemplatePack.FullPath)\build.csproj" Properties="NoWarn=2008" />
-    <RemoveDir Directories="..\artifacts\scratch;..\artifacts\templates\netstandard1.0" />
-  </Target>
-  
-  <Target Name="Test">
-    <PropertyGroup>
-      <CurrentDate>$([System.DateTime]::Now.ToString(yyyy-MM-dd_hh_mm_ss))</CurrentDate>
-    </PropertyGroup>
-    <MSBuild Targets="Restore" Projects="..\tools\ProjectTestRunner\ProjectTestRunner.csproj" />
-    <Exec 
-         Command="dotnet test --logger &quot;trx;LogFileName=$(TestFolder)$(USERNAME)_$(COMPUTERNAME)_$(CurrentDate).trx&quot;"
-         WorkingDirectory="..\tools\ProjectTestRunner" />
-  </Target>
-</Project>
diff --git a/src/Templates.csproj b/src/Templates.csproj
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3e1570068f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Templates.csproj
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
+
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <TargetFramework>netstandard2.0</TargetFramework>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <Compile Remove="**/*" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <TemplatePack Include="Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ItemTemplates" />
+    <TemplatePack Include="Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ProjectTemplates.1.x" />
+    <TemplatePack Include="Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ProjectTemplates.2.0" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+
+  <Target Name="BuildTemplatePackages" BeforeTargets="Build" Outputs="%(TemplatePack.Identity)">
+    <Message Importance="high" Text="Building %(TemplatePack.Identity)..." />
+    <MSBuild Targets="Restore;Pack" Projects="%(TemplatePack.FullPath)\build.csproj" Properties="NoWarn=2008" />
+    <RemoveDir Directories="..\artifacts\scratch;..\artifacts\templates\netstandard1.0" />
+  </Target>
+
+</Project>
diff --git a/version.xml b/version.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b2c5cfd0fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/version.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<!-- This file may be overwritten by automation. -->
+<Project>
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <KoreBuildChannel>dev</KoreBuildChannel>
+    <VersionPrefix>2.1.0</VersionPrefix>
+    <VersionSuffix>preview1</VersionSuffix>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+</Project>
\ No newline at end of file