Work continues on Apple's new facility

"The city has been responding with their permitting on time, but as far as a construction [timeline] is concerned, I am not sure," Courtney said.

When the project will be completed is still not known. Srinath Kasturi, vice president at Dallas-based Cadence McShane Construction Co., which was hired to construct the first phase, said he was unable to comment on the expected completion date or any other details about the project because of a nondisclosure agreement with the owner.

Lauren Vroom, spokeswoman of corporate public relations for Apple, said the company is not offering interviews to answer questions about the construction as of press time.

The original site plan for the facility included two retail buildings with 34,794 total square feet and one 5,250-square-foot restaurant. Courtney said Apple could decide whether to include retail, restaurant, or any other space for accessory use, as long as it is less than 10 percent of the total square footage. Accessory use is for those working in or visiting the facility but not for public use, Courtney said.

In March, Apple announced its plans to invest $304 million into the operations center and hire more than 3,600 employees. The City of Austin approved an $8.6 million economic incentive agreement for Apple's investment in Austin and hiring the new employees by Dec. 31, 2021. Apple could receive between $5.4 million and $6.4 million in incentives from Travis County depending on whether the company fulfills certain agreed-upon requirements.

Apple is also slated to receive $21 million from the state's Texas Enterprise Fund, which is used to attract businesses to the state. That amount is the seventh-highest awarded to a company since the fund's inception in 2003, according to the Economic Development and Tourism Division of the Governor's Office.