Development

In a city council meeting this week, recent fears of data center development met with generational frustrations over industrial zoning in north and east Lubbock, leading to threats of recalls for city leaders in a meeting where many who spoke out felt ignored.

Politicians on the ballot this November from both sides of the aisle have pressed for greater scrutiny on data centers in Texas. Recent polling shows most Texans oppose them in their communities.

A Hood County judge has sided against two proposed data center projects in a lawsuit. KERA's Emmanuel Rivas reports the developers argued the campuses should be automatically approved because of a missed deadline. Lubbock ISD is hosting its annual registration blitz tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at each of its campuses. Parents can register their students at any LISD campus, no matter which school their child will attend. Registration will require the student's birth certificate and social security card, the guardian's a government-issued photo ID, and proof of residency.

A Hood County judge dismissed a lawsuit over two proposed data center projects, allowing the county to continue reviewing the developments after rejecting developers' legal challenge.

On July 7, the City of Lubbock hosted a public meeting to hear residents’ thoughts and concerns about large-scale data centers. As city officials try to balance the potential benefits with the risks, a majority of the approximately 70 members of the public who spoke at the meeting were against allowing data centers in the city.

Last night, the City of Lubbock hosted a nearly-4-hour meeting to discuss the potential development of large-scale data centers, with comment from about 70 members of the public. Our Samantha Larned reports that while city staff have recommended policies to support further control over developments, some citizens say that concerns over enforcement remain unchanged.

Lubbock city leaders are asking for citizens’ opinions ahead of a public meeting to discuss the subject of large-scale data centers. Over the next week, the City is taking an online survey to gauge public opinion on large-scale data centers before the meeting. You can find a link to fill out the survey here.

The agreement with the Department of Justice and U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, filed in court Tuesday, settles the 2023 lawsuit alleging that owners of the development engaged in deceptive advertising and targeted Hispanic residents with predatory loans and seller-financed mortgages.

Newly-dubbed Pickering Park in downtown Lubbock is intended to create a more walkable community and help drive new development in downtown. The project broke ground yesterday and construction is expected to be complete in nine to ten months.

After seven years, the Lubbock County Expo Center is expected to present a plan to its oversight board today, in hopes of being approved by commissioners later this month. Rather than combining with the city's Civic Center renovations downtown, the proposal keeps the project in North Lubbock. But our Samantha Larned reports it calls for a $32 million bond, with approval from Lubbock County voters.