Austin Metro Development Updates

[ATX2030]

Originally Posted by ATX2030

Taylor ISD accepts Chapter 313 incentives application for mysterious project, officials hint at more in the pipeline

Something is brewing in Taylor......

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2021/07/01/chapter-313-applications-ramp-up-in-taylor.html

Kathryn Hardison – Staff Writer, Austin Business Journal

"As companies continue to make massive investments in Central Texas, a large manufacturing or renewable energy project may be headed for the quiet town of Taylor.

Taylor Independent School District trustees accepted an application for an appraised value limitation on qualified property at its June 30 meeting for a project dubbed Project Colin. The application is for property tax abatements under Chapter 313 of the state tax code, which are used for new manufacturing and energy projects."

...."Padavil declined to comment on the industry or size of the company behind Project Colin.

“Any business development, no matter the size, they’re huge drops in the bucket for the school district,” he said. “In my six months here, I haven’t seen a project this size here, let’s put it that way.”

Many large companies are eyeing Central Texas — especially auto suppliers that would feed Tesla's new plant, which is about 30 minutes from Taylor.

The biggest fish circling Austin's economic pond now is tech giant Samsung, which is reportedly considering Taylor for its $17 billion chipmaking plant.

The South Korea-based company is weighing sites in Phoenix, Austin and upstate New York for a fabrication facility to manufacture a new line of advanced computer chips. A Samsung exec recently stressed the importance of an expansion during a roundtable in Austin with other industry officials about the global chip shortage. The federal government may also soon offer incentives for semiconductor activity in the United States.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that Samsung was considering the Williamson County suburb of Taylor, though this hasn’t been confirmed by company or city officials.

If Samsung does select rural Taylor, there is an abundance of land for the company to build, and the $17 billion project would certainly be the largest corporate investment the city has ever seen.

Samsung may also choose to add to its massive manufacturing campus in North Austin, where it’s already invested $17 billion over the last 25 years. The company applied for Chapter 313 incentives from Manor ISD earlier this year for a potential project, and there's company interest to apply for incentives from Travis County and the city of Austin. The state could also kick in a grant."

Perhaps Samsung is considering building a battery plant in Taylor? They are vying for a piece of the pie with Tesla's new 4680 cells which will be used in the Model Y that will be built at Giga Texas. Pure speculation on my part.

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210713000446

[drummer]

Originally Posted by ATX2030

Perhaps Samsung is considering building a battery plant in Taylor? They are vying for a piece of the pie with Tesla's new 4680 cells which will be used in the Model Y that will be built at Giga Texas. Pure speculation on my part.

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210713000446

Yeah, this has been floated. It'll be interesting to see what happens out there if not Samsung. Also, didn't Samsung just move (or ask to move) Samsung Blvd to the east? Wouldn't that allow for a sizable expansion immediately next to or even connected to their current facility?

[ATX2030]

Originally Posted by drummer

Yeah, this has been floated. It'll be interesting to see what happens out there if not Samsung. Also, didn't Samsung just move (or ask to move) Samsung Blvd to the east? Wouldn't that allow for a sizable expansion immediately next to or even connected to their current facility?

It has? This is separate from the 17b chip fab they are currently negotiating at their facility off Parmer. I know Taylor was also mentioned as a site for the chip fab
but I was not aware that a battery factory was mentioned as well. Would be crazy if the metro landed both!

[ATX2030]

BREAKING NEWS: Texas Comptroller records show Taylor ISD Chapter 313 agreement is for $17B Samsung Austin Semiconductor facility

https://communityimpact.com/austin/cedar...b-samsung-austin-semiconductor-facility/

By Brooke Sjoberg

"Records from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts show that a June 30 application for Chapter 313 tax limitation approved by Taylor ISD was for Samsung Austin Semiconductor."

And........

For a fourth time there we no bidders today for the properties in AZ that were possible candidates for the Samsung factory.

https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2021/07/15/auctions-for-samsung-sites-postponed-again.html

Corina Vanek – Reporter, Phoenix Business Journal

"For a fourth time, two Arizona State Land Department auctions for land that had been under consideration as a potential site for a new Samsung factory were adjourned after no bidders placed bids.

The appraisals on both parcels were set to expire next week, but the department’s board voted Thursday to extend them. The parcels are now scheduled to go up for auction on September 16."

[KevinFromTexas]

San Marcos skyline from this morning.

[H2O]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

San Marcos skyline from this morning.

I was in San Marcos on Friday. I like how the historic square is getting ringed by taller (6 story or so) West Campus looking buildings about a block off the square.

[drummer]

Question - IF Samsung were to land in Taylor instead of Austin for the new $17B development, where would it be? Any word on a location? Just curious.

[wwmiv]

I’m honestly surprised Taylor is in the running for a huge facility of any mind yet. It is still a bot far flung and is not only not on any interstate, it lacks any freeway connection to any city.

The federal government has tentative long term plans to build an interstate spur from College Station to Austin via Taylor, integrating to the eventual full build out of I-14. Who knows if that will ever actually happen, though.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by H2O

I was in San Marcos on Friday. I like how the historic square is getting ringed by taller (6 story or so) West Campus looking buildings about a block off the square.

San Marcos has the potential to have a big and densely built skyline. I predict that San Marcos will be the next big downtown in Texas in the coming years.

[H2O]

Originally Posted by migol24

San Marcos has the potential to have a big and densely built skyline. I predict that San Marcos will be the next big downtown in Texas in the coming years.

Yeah, but that depends on how many years are coming. San Marcos' population is probably about the same as Austin's 100 years ago. They need some office based industries (tech start up? medical?) to diversify their economy before that happens.

[DaveinWimberley]

Originally Posted by H2O

Yeah, but that depends on how many years are coming. San Marcos' population is probably about the same as Austin's 100 years ago. They need some office based industries (tech start up? medical?) to diversify their economy before that happens.

I believe San Marcos is in the Balcones Subduction Zone, so the cost would be prohibitive for tall skyscrapers. Limestone is so unstable in this area, and the fault could re reactivated here.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

The federal government has tentative long term plans to build an interstate spur from College Station to Austin via Taylor, integrating to the eventual full build out of I-14. Who knows if that will ever actually happen, though.

I-14 is supposed to through Temple, not Taylor.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

I-14 is supposed to through Temple, not Taylor.

Austin's connections to I-14, aside from I-35, was planned to be along a beefed up 79 and 183. I think he's speaking of the planned version of 79 as a connection to I-14 rather than I-14 running through Taylor itself.

There is also a proposed expressway that we discussed somewhere (probably transportation forum) connecting at 130 and Gattis School Rd and extending eastward, likely toward Taylor. Chandler Rd (1431) east of 130 has also been discussed as a potential controlled access road all the way to 95 (way into the future, of course).

Taylor also has an advantage with railroad connections.

Any of this would require a lot of work, of course. I'm personally a fan of Austin getting it, but Taylor isn't far from Hutto, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Georgetown, etc. My pure guess is any facility would be on the west side of Taylor as well.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

I-14 is supposed to through Temple, not Taylor.

Did you read what I wrote? Here, let me bold for you the relevant part and add the implied details in parenthesis:

Originally Posted by wwmiv

I’m honestly surprised Taylor is in the running for a huge facility of any mind yet. It is still a bot far flung and is not only not on any interstate, it lacks any freeway connection to any city.

The federal government has tentative long term plans to build an interstate SPUR (e.g. I-114) from College Station to Austin via Taylor (via 79 east, 183 northwest, and newly acquired ROW), integrating into the eventual FULL BUILD out of I-14 (which spans from South Carolina to Texas). Who knows if that will ever actually happen, though.

http://www.gulfcoaststrategichighway.org/

And since I actually read what you wrote, I have to point out that your words imply I-14 is not already built through Temple because you are speaking in the future imperfect tense (e.g. speaking about a potential future action in a way that does not guarantee it will happen) when you say “supposed to be.”

How can something be “supposed to be (built)” if it already exists in reality? I-14 from Killeen to Temple was built and dedicated years ago.

If you’re gonna come for someone and correct them, you might want to pay enough attention to understand what they actually said that you are correcting (this helps you know if they even need to be corrected) let alone have done your homework on the topic enough to know how to correct them (during which you might realize they were actually correct).

As to a more substantive response, I will assume that you meant to say something more like this:

I thought it was the government’s plan to co-sign I-35 as the spur I-114 between Austin and Temple in order to reduce new infrastructure costs.

To which my reply would have been: yes, that is one option that has been on the table before. It may be the option that is eventually pursued.

And I would have responded that way because I’d be responding to a person who is being conversational, not falsely correctional.

[The ATX]

This sounds like an interesting project. A site plan was filed for a mixed use project called Violet Crown. It's on ~62 acres off of HWY 71 past SW Parkway towards Bee Caves. It will have an amphitheater, office and hotel.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/public-searc...n=12743219&t_selected_propertyrsn=246341

[drummer]

Originally Posted by The ATX

This sounds like an interesting project. A site plan was filed for a mixed use project called Violet Crown. It's on ~62 acres off of HWY 71 past SW Parkway towards Bee Caves. It will have an amphitheater, office and hotel.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/public-searc...n=12743219&t_selected_propertyrsn=246341

Hmm, interesting indeed. I wonder what sort of projects we're going to see along Southwest Parkway, 71, etc., in that direction as things grow - especially once the Y interchange is done (in like 20 years). West of there is only going to explode as well with all the growth anticipated in Spicewood and all the way to Marble Falls.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by H2O

Yeah, but that depends on how many years are coming. San Marcos' population is probably about the same as Austin's 100 years ago. They need some office based industries (tech start up? medical?) to diversify their economy before that happens.

Yes, maybe. I'm thinking in 20 years, San Marcos will have started to grow a nice densely built downtown (but maybe not tall skyscrapers.) Being between Austin and San Antonio, that town has potential. Especially if there ever is a rail that gets built between ATX-SAT.

[KevinFromTexas]

I was thinking about the Domain and how far I could see Domain Tower II. The farthest we've seen it so far is about 20 miles, so I was thinking if San Marcos got something that tall, you could, in theory, see it from a few spots around South Austin. From somewhere around Menchaca Road and a little bit south of Davis Lane. It's also wild to think that from a few of those places it might even be possible to see both a 300 footer in San Marcos and the buildings at the Domain, a distance apart of like 40 miles. It would be similar to seeing Dallas and Fort Worth's skylines from one spot, which I actually know is possible from one location up there. I may have to do a dummy model in Google Earth in San Marcos and see how far away it shows up...

[drummer]

More than 2,000 homes slated for new Marble Falls mixed-use development

MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) —An 1,100-acre mixed-use development is coming to Marble Falls.

The Thunder Rock development will be located along U.S. Highway 281 and State Highway 71.

Centurion American Development Group is developing the property, and it says it will feature 1,966 single-family residential homes, 924 multifamily units and 150 active adult units. It will also feature a 26-acre sports complex with four baseball fields, four soccer fields and a multipurpose field, a 10-acre recreational center and 204,000 square feet of commercial development.

“There is such demand and with the growth happening out there from every buyer profile,” said Rob Romo with the development group. “From first-time buyer to move-up buyer … people moving up from Austin wanting to afford a nice home in a nice master planned community.”

The development will also include parks and nature trails along Flatrock Creek.

Some homes could cost around $250,000.

Phase one of construction is slated for the summer while the entire project will take about 5 years to complete.

https://www.kxan.com/news/more-than-2000-homes-slated-for-new-marble-falls-mixed-use-development/

[H2O]

So mixed-use is now having different kinds of residential and park space?