THE TEXAS BRIEF
Good morning, Texans.
Data centers keep stacking up land across the state.
South of Austin, Tract just expanded its Caldwell County position to nearly 3,000 acres. In Taylor, a 220-acre campus is moving forward next door to Samsung. San Antonio has two major plays underway, Amazon’s $88M expansion on the West Side and a developer pitching a 1,500-acre “Energy Ranch.” The common thread: power, water, and fiber are becoming the real site selection bottlenecks.
Meanwhile, Fort Worth’s Alliance corridor could land an $80M manufacturing facility tied to all of this buildout. Intuitive Machines closed an $800M satellite acquisition in Houston. And Crown Castle just cut ties with Dish, pursuing more than $3.5B in what’s shaping up to be a messy dispute.
A few civic and education signals are worth flagging too: UT is getting a $100M pledge for its planned medical center, Austin ISD spent heavily on schools it now expects to close.
Let’s get into it.
TEXAS BUSINESS MOVES
Tract expands Caldwell County land buy for nearly 3,000-acre data center campus
Denver-based Tract acquired an additional 1,458 acres in Caldwell County, bringing its planned campus south of Austin to nearly 3,000 acres. → Read more
Why it matters: Campus-scale land control signals multi-phase demand for power, substations, water, and fiber. It also reshapes pricing and competition for nearby industrial and housing development.
Federal Reserve clears final hurdle for Fifth Third’s $10.9B Comerica buyout
The Fed approval was the final regulatory step; Fifth Third expects to close its purchase of Comerica in coming weeks. → Read more
Why it matters: A combined balance sheet can materially change credit availability, underwriting standards, and treasury services for Texas middle-market operators.
Intuitive Machines completes $800M acquisition of satellite-maker Lanteris Space Systems
The Houston-based company closed the $800M deal, citing improved positioning for space and defense contracts. → Read more
Why it matters: Vertical integration in space hardware pulls more engineering, supply chain, and federal contract dollars into the Houston ecosystem.
Amazon plans $88M data center expansion on San Antonio’s West Side
Amazon is investing $88M to expand its data center footprint, continuing steady growth in South Texas. → Read more
Why it matters: More compute capacity increases demand for reliable power and specialized contractors while supporting latency-sensitive enterprise workloads.
Alliance could add $80M factory from Florida company
A Florida-based firm is eyeing an $80M investment for new operations in Fort Worth, seeking tax incentives to locate within Hillwood’s Alliance development. → Read more
Why it matters: Landing the plant would deepen North Texas’ advanced manufacturing base tied to data center infrastructure and skilled labor demand.
Crown Castle cuts ties with Dish Wireless and seeks to recover over $3.5B
Crown Castle says Dish has failed to meet payment obligations under a 2020 agreement; litigation is ongoing in Colorado. → Read more
Why it matters: Network buildout uncertainty can stall carrier-driven infrastructure investment and ripple through tower leasing and connectivity projects.
Secondary Signals (Still Worth Knowing)
More details emerged on a 220-acre Taylor data center campus planned next to Samsung’s expanding factory footprint. → Read more
A San Antonio developer outlined plans for a 1,500-acre data center campus dubbed Energy Ranch. → Read more
UT McCombs plans a $13M, decade-long relocation of its Houston MBA program into Marathon’s former HQ near CityCentre. → Read more
A Texas Tribune review found Austin ISD spent nearly $100M renovating schools it now expects to close amid enrollment decline. → Read more
An Austin resident and Nvidia board member pledged $100M toward building UT’s planned medical center. → Read more
Thanks for reading Texas Operator. If you know someone building, investing, or operating in Texas, send this their way.
— Robert
Editor, Texas Operator