TAYLOR, Texas (KXAN) — It marks two years on Friday the CHIPPS Act was signed into law. It’s meant to give a boost to to cities across the U.S. to lead the way in all areas of technology. Fast forward until now and cities like Taylor are seeing first-hand what it means for them.
“We’re ready for Taylor to boom and hopefully bring more business,” Kourtney Jirasek said. She’s co-owner of The Rhinestone Cowgirl in downtown Taylor, which has been a staple there since 2011.
“There used to be no businesses in town, and then we kind of had a ton of businesses start, and now, unfortunately with the economy, it’s tapered off a little bit,” Jirasek explained.
Her business, like so many others in the area, are hopeful the latest announcement from the city could bring more foot traffic into her store.
“The long-term for this project, it’s up to a $1 billion dollar investment over the next 10 years. That’s a number most people can’t wrap their minds around,” city spokesman Daniel Seguin said.
That new project is a data center from BPP Projects.
What is a data center?
“[A data center] is a place where businesses, tech businesses especially, will locate their servers, their content, their data, for the web,” Seguin explained.
It will be built just east of downtown, and near Highway 79, off Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Boulevard on just over 50 acres of undeveloped land.
Seguin said it’s giving Taylor an edge and an advantage to companies who might not want to be in Austin.
“It’s looking like the city of Taylor is going to become a major player in the tech industry, which is really cool to see,” Seguin said.
That, of course, then means more money pumped into local businesses.
“I think it’s a great town, I think it can be a great town, and if just everybody embraces the growth, and take it for what it is, I think it can be a good thing,” Jirasek said.
Helping to keep everyone connected and open for business.
BPP is receiving tax breaks from the city as part of the deal. Construction is expected to happen in three phases with a groundbreaking planned in the near future.