Data Centers in Round Rock

The City of Round Rock is considering a request to rezone 29.69 acres of land to allow for a proposed data center development. The Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval, and the City Council approved the rezoning on first reading. The proposed Planned Unit Development (PUD) includes measures to mitigate potential impacts, such as limiting the size and power of the facility, requiring a closed-loop cooling system, and adding landscape buffers. A neighborhood meeting was held, and additional provisions were added to the PUD in response to resident concerns. Round Rock has already approved two major data center developments - Sabey Data Centers and Switch. Data centers provide significant tax revenue while requiring minimal city services. The City uses the PUD process to ensure appropriate screening, site design, and impact mitigation. Round Rock has not seen evidence of negative impacts on nearby property values from existing data centers. The City monitors water usage and requires water-efficient practices. Electricity capacity is secured directly by the utility provider, not the City.