A highly watched AI data center project in Nueces County recently started construction in between Robstown and Calallen at 4650 FM 1694.
Construction for the 525-acre Beacon Point Data Center campus will cost almost $399 million, according to records from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
Hut 8, a Florida-based company, is behind the development of the Beacon Point campus in Calallen.
The estimated completion date for the construction is set for Nov. 5, 2027.
The project is being privately funded and the construction spans across 657,130 square feet.
The owner is listed as Beacon Point DC LLC, also known as Lon Hill Infrastructure LLC, according to records.
The tenant, or operator, of the data center has not been made public.
What else is known?
The Corpus
Christi Regional Economic Development Corp. announced in May that Hut 8 had planned to develop a $9.8 billion multi-phase, multi-tenant AI data center. An undisclosed company has signed two lease agreements for the campus, for a total contract amount of $19.6 billion, as of July.
In an Oct. 12 briefing to the Corpus Christi City Council, CCREDC President Aaron Bowman said Hut 8 has paid $13 million in permitting fees for the project to the city and that data center equipment will cost an estimated $20 billion.
The one-gigawatt campus will include two data centers operated by two separate tenants, Bowman said.
Phase one of the campus could potentially be running by the end of 2027.
Hut 8 has said it will use a closed-loop water system with water sourced from outside the county that would require a single fill. The water could be used for operations spanning four to seven years.
Electric delivery service to the data center is locked in with an interconnection agreement with AEP Texas.
During the City Council meeting, City Councilwoman Sylvia Campos expressed concern with water usage and asked how the CCREDC is managing scrutiny surrounding data centers.
Bowman said that Beacon Point has met its "community profile" standards and will have a 2-inch water pipeline that would maintain a standard flow of water.
City Councilman Gil Hernandez mentioned that industrial companies such as Valero, Citgo, Gulf Coast Growth Ventures and Flint Hills are part of industrial district agreements, which creates “mutual benefit” in terms of city resources and tax revenue.
In the future, Hernandez said he would suggest for any potential data center developments to enter an agreement.
At a July 21 meeting, the City Council directed staff to amend the development code regarding data center classification and zoning parameters.
Calls for data center regulation have been circulating statewide, with Gov. Greg Abbott directing the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on Sept. 21 to pause data center permits until the Electric Reliability Council of Texas completes its audit.
Felicity Guajardo covers breaking news and public safety. Contact her at felicity.guajardo@caller.com.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Construction begins on nearly $400 million Beacon Point data center
