Mayor explains why Lubbock’s newly revealed data center never went before council

Lubbock Mayor Mark McBrayer recently explained why "Project Infrared," a newly disclosed 50,000 square-foot data center project by CORVA, did not come before the Lubbock City Council for approval. According to McBrayer, the data center, which will have a maximum capacity of 27 megawatts, already fits the city's existing zoning rules, negating the need for council action. The project is located on approximately 100 acres near East Municipal Drive and North Loop 289, with the land owned by the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance (LEDA).

McBrayer described Project Infrared as an "inference data center" designed to handle business information needs, rather than a hyperscale AI facility that typically uses large amounts of water and power. He clarified that previous city discussions about data centers focused on larger-scale projects with significant resource demands, not smaller facilities like CORVA's. The mayor noted the facility is projected to use about 1,500 gallons of water per day, comparable to a distribution center, which is significantly less than the 100,000 gallons often used by hyperscale data centers.

He emphasized that the CORVA project is unrelated to a recent controversial zoning case approved by the city council, which allowed for more industrial development in North Lubbock and sparked opposition from residents concerned about potential data centers on that land. McBrayer highlighted the economic benefits of the CORVA project, including tax income, while asserting it would not be