A 1,400-acre development zone in Hutto, led by two massive industrial projects, is coming together, the Austin Business Journal reports.
The so-called “megasite” along U.S. Route 79 is one of the largest developable pieces of land in the fast-growing region north of Austin, which in recent years has seen some of the fastest rates of population growth in the country.
City officials are hoping to draft on the multi-billion-dollar Samsung factory planned in nearby Taylor, courting suppliers that will service the site. They’re also hoping to boost the city’s own tech and industrial sectors.
There are two massively important projects driving the megasite development forward. The first, named PowerCampus, is a 3.9 million-square-foot data center by Prologis and Skybox. Hutto granted an initial approval on July 5 for a tax abatement for the project. The subsidy is expected to be approved later this month.
At a minimum, the developers will invest $10 billion in the project, according to public documents. In return, the city will exempt 50 percent of the taxable value of personal property at the development for 10 years.
The other project of note in the area is an industrial facility spanning at least 2 million square feet, to be developed by Titan, a firm based in New Mexico. Construction of that tech-focused space is set to begin by the end of the year.
Joe Iannacone, an Austin-based executive for the firm, told ABJ that the company is fielding leasing inquiries from suppliers related to the semiconductor business.
As part of the megasite-wide development, Hutto plans $18 million in road and infrastructure improvements. Among other things, it will build an east-west road through the site.
In the past, Tesla and Applied Materials have considered buying land at the megasite.
Some six of the 15 fastest-growing cities in the country are in Texas, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Census. The top three cities in Texas were all on the outskirts of Austin, putting Hutto in good company for growth.
— Joe Lovinger
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