The Chisholm Planned Unit Development allows for the addition of a new data center and requires measures to conserve water use.
What is it?
The land, which encompasses space on the west side of I-35 in Round Rock, was originally zoned as general commercial. The new zoning still incorporates limited general commercial use, but also includes plans for a tech center with a fenced in data facility, an electric substation and office warehouse buildings.
Director of Planning & Development Services Bradley Dushkin said the city takes into consideration energy use from data centers and whether or not it has the means to support them. The developer is required to submit a water model and work directly with Oncor to provide electric infrastructure.
"[Data centers] require a lot of water to cool the buildings," Dushkin said. "They require a whole lot of electricity to power the buildings."
If a developer applicant does not move forward with plans to build the data center and associated buildings, the businesses would follow the limited general commercial zoning requirements.
In case you missed it
Round Rock is home to similar facilities, including Sabey Data Center, which opened in July. Additionally, Switch is constructing a data center on land previously belonging to Dell Technologies.
A project to construct a new Amazon facility near CR 172 and SH 45 would also allow for a data center in the future, city officials said, although no plans to construct one have been announced.
What they’re saying
Mayor Craig Morgan requested that the zoning require a closed loop system at the proposed data center to conserve water, which passed with the ordinance.
"I think there's a lot of misinformation out there about data centers. However, I do think we have to be good stewards of the water," he said.
What's next?
No developer or data center has signed onto the project yet, according to Dushkin.
