What happened?
Council approved a planned unit development rezoning request for 32 acres of land, previously owned by Dell Technologies, north of Louis Henna Boulevard and east of Greenlawn Boulevard.
The land and new development will complement their nearby 1.5 million-square-foot data campus—The Rock—currently under construction on Mays Street and Dell Way.
“From my perspective, there is only a fence that separates my neighborhood from the [construction] project,” Round Rock resident Richard Parson said at the council meeting. “[Switch] is absolutely the best neighbors you could ever ask for as far as a construction company goes. They would always give me an email on Monday mornings letting me know what to expect.”
The Las Vegas-based company previously entered into an economic agreement with the city, requiring Switch to invest at least $80 million in real and personal property improvements by the end of 2026.
“Switch has been a dedicated community partner and will significantly contribute to Central Texas’ growing technology and innovation ecosystem,” said Jordan Robinson, president and CEO of the Round Rock Chamber, in a news release. “We look forward to continuing to work with Switch as it grows and expands in our community.”
This agreement also provides economic incentive payments to Switch, should they maintain their agreement, based on roughly half of the money generated by sales and use tax revenue received from Switch.
The $80 million in taxable sales and purchases Switch is responsible for would result in $1.2 million in net income for Round Rock, according to city documents.
Looking ahead
The new data center will include plans for an electric substation and communications tower.
The company may potentially utilize the city’s purple pipe, which uses treated wastewater normally released into Brushy Creek, but instead is reused for irrigation and cooling.
