1. $575M chemical manufacturing plant in Taylor to service semiconductor industry
A South-Korean semiconductor chemical manufacturing company and Samsung supplier, Soulbrain, struck a deal with the city of Taylor to build a $575 million plant.
The plant will be located within the 750-acre RCR Taylor Logistics Park off of Hwy. 79., sandwiched between the Hutto Megasite and Samsung's semiconductor plant.
What happened?
On July 25, the city of Taylor and the Taylor Economic Development Corporation agreed to an initial minimum capital investment of $175 million on the plant, which will create a minimum of 50 jobs, according to a news release.
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2. Projects push forward Old Settlers Park renovation
Construction on Harrell Parkway in Old Settlers Park in Round Rock will begin soon, furthering the larger plan to renovate the park.
About the projects
The city of Round Rock is working on improvements to Harrell Parkway, including constructing a bridge and pedestrian walkway. The project, at a cost of $28.3 million, will also build a connection between Harrell Parkway and Kenny Fort Boulevard.
The Lakeview Pavilion area also has renovations in the works. Project features include a new pavilion, overlooking the lake and planned stage, with a price tag of around $13.4 million.
Find out more.
3. Hutto breaks ground on wastewater treatment plant expansion
The city of Hutto broke ground on an expansion of the South Wastewater Treatment Plant Aug. 20. The expansion will help accommodate future population growth and increased demand in Hutto, city engineer Patricia Davis said.
About the project
A part of the city’s capital improvement plan, the expansion aims to increase the plant’s capacity from 2.5 million gallons per day to 6 million gallons per day.
The plant will be able to treat wastewater to make it suitable for irrigation and fire protection. This will in turn reduce the city’s potable water demand, according to city officials.
Keep reading.
4. City of Taylor strikes deal for $225M data center
The city of Taylor and the Taylor Economic Development Corporation struck a deal with BPP Projects to build a $225 million data center that could potentially balloon into a $1 billion project over the next 10 years.
The overview
Taylor City Council approved an economic development agreement with the company Aug. 8, granting BPP Projects a 10-year, 50% tax rebate for each phase of construction on the data center, according to a news release.
The construction, which is set to begin in July 2025, will be done in three phases and built on 52 acres owned by the Taylor EDC in east Taylor.
Learn more about the data center.
5. Round Rock ISD opens new wing of Brushy Creek Elementary School
Round Rock ISD opened a new wing of Brushy Creek Elementary School Aug. 12, ahead of the start of the 2024-25 school year on Aug. 13.
What you need to know
The new section of the school includes collaborative learning rooms as well as outdoor spaces for third, fourth and fifth grade students, per the district.
The 25,000-square-foot expansion to the campus is funded by the district's 2018 bond, and construction costs were capped at $13.74 million by trustees in 2022.
About the project
The addition creates 16 classrooms with moveable partitions at the elementary school, campus staff shared in a November 2023 update.
Learn more.
6. Round Rock data center to support new supercomputer
Sabey Data Centers in Round Rock will host the infrastructure needed to support a new supercomputer as part of an initiative by the National Science Foundation Leadership-Class Computing Facility.
The details
Expected to start operating in 2026, the supercomputer dubbed Horizon will be NSF’s largest academic supercomputer for open-scientific research. It will perform ten times better in simulation and 100 times better in AI applications than the current system, Frontera, according to a SDC news release.
Read the full story.
