TEXAS CONSTRUCTION HUB The Texas Pour#006 / SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2026 Tracking what Texas is building—and who’s building it. |
EDITION 06 | 7-MINUTE READ Hello, Texas! Thank you to all our subscribers for reading and supporting The Texas Pour. To everyone joining us for the first time, welcome—we’re glad to have you here. We appreciate you being part of the Texas Construction Hub community. Samsung’s next Taylor fab and Oncor’s $4 billion transmission expansion lead this edition, alongside major milestones for Dallas’ pediatric hospital campus and Entergy’s newest power station. One of this edition’s most exciting ideas takes us offshore: Houston firms are proposing floating data centers powered by nearby natural gas and cooled using the deep ocean. It’s an ambitious concept that brings Texas’ offshore energy expertise into the computing world—and one we’ll be watching as project details emerge. We’re also following Elon Musk’s tunnel projects, the electrical contractor rankings and more developments across the state. |
Today’s Brief.From semiconductor cleanrooms and long-distance power lines to hospital towers and an NHL arena district, this edition follows the projects shaping Texas’ next wave of construction—and the decisions that will determine what happens next. - 🏗️ Samsung’s Next Taylor Fab: a reported November start puts the 2.7 million-square-foot Fab 2 back in focus, with production targeted for 2030 and specialist delivery packages still to follow.
- ⚡ A $4 Billion Transmission Expansion: Oncor’s two 765kV routes span more than 420 miles toward the Permian Basin. Land access, engineering and construction sequencing are the next steps toward the 2029 targets.
- 🏥 Dallas Builds for The Future: the $5 billion Moody Children’s Hospital campus has topped out, while the proposed $3 billion Dallas Stars arena district remains a major planning and financing story in Plano.
- 🔌 Entergy Reaches Operation: the 1,215MW Orange County Advanced Power Station is now in commercial service, marking the end of a major construction and commissioning program.
- 🚇 Musk’s Texas Tunnel Activity: Morgan’s Inclusion Tunnel has an established worksite in San Antonio; a separate filing proposes a Colorado River crossing near Giga Texas.
- 🏆 EC&M’s Top Electrical Contractors: see the full top 20 and the Texas firms standing out, including Quanta Services, IES Holdings and Facility Solutions Group.
- 📍 Projects To Watch: Round Rock’s $1 billion District adds a retail phase, Lockheed advances manufacturing investment, FedEx files a Cypress facility and League City awards its park contract.
- 🤝 Acquisitions: 26North’s agreement to buy MEI Industrial Solutions puts a Texas equipment-moving and installation business in the spotlight, with closing targeted for Q4.
- 🌊 Houston Offshore Data Center: Houston firms are proposing gas-powered floating computing platforms that combine marine infrastructure, generation and deep-ocean cooling.
- ⚖️ Legal & Regulatory Watch: follow Hood County’s permit decision, Harris County’s oversight measures and Prairie’s reported air-permit step.
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Project Spotlight Samsung Eyes November Start for Second Taylor Fab Samsung is preparing for a November 2026 construction start on Fab 2 in Taylor, according to October 15 reporting. The approximately 2.7 million-square-foot facility has a reported production target of 2030. The next phase follows earlier foundation work described by Taylor’s mayor. It is a planned construction milestone, with phase-specific contractor and specialist-package appointments still to confirm. Location: Taylor / Williamson County Budget context: Samsung’s more than $37 billion Texas investment covers a wider program; it is not a standalone Fab 2 construction budget. |
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Project Spotlight Oncor’s $4 Billion Texas Power Transmission Expansion — Over 420 Miles Of 765kV Lines Dinosaur–Longshore route map supplied by publisher. Two approved 765kV routes connect Somervell County with the Permian Basin. Combined estimates reach approximately $3.95 billion, including transmission lines and switchyards, with completion targets in 2029. Route approval is separate from field mobilization. Right-of-way progress, detailed engineering, contractor appointments and the rehearing process will shape the next delivery updates. |
Membership Offer Go Deeper Into Texas ConstructionGo deeper into projects such as Samsung’s Taylor expansion and Oncor’s transmission program with Project Insights, contractor intelligence and delivery updates. Monthly: $12.99 $19.99
Annually: $149.99 $199.99 Limited-time pricing. The Texas Project Tracker is planned for the end of October and is included with annual membership. |
Project Milestones $5 Billion Moody Children’s Hospital Campus Reaches Topping Out Campus construction: Children’s Health and UT Southwestern. Children’s Health and UT Southwestern marked placement of the final beam on September 29. Published this week, the milestone update puts the Dallas pediatric campus’s next construction stages in focus. The program includes 552 beds across three towers, with more than five million square feet across the wider campus and opening targeted for 2031. McCarthy–Vaughn Partnership is construction manager, with Post L Group as teaming partner; HKS and Perkins&Will are the design partners. |
Project Watch Dallas Stars’ Proposed $3 Billion Arena District Advances Through Planning Concept rendering: HNTB. Supplied by the publisher. The proposed redevelopment of The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano would anchor a wider mixed-use district with an approximately 18,000-seat arena, alongside housing, retail, hospitality and public space. Published estimates put the wider district at approximately $3 billion, including a roughly $1 billion arena. The scale makes this a significant North Texas development prospect, with infrastructure and surrounding buildings forming a substantial part of the story. |
Project Milestones Entergy’s 1,215MW Orange County Power Station Enters ServiceEntergy Texas placed the Orange County Advanced Power Station into commercial service on October 14. The 1,215MW facility near Bridge City marks a major transition from construction and commissioning to operation. The milestone adds generating capacity as Southeast Texas industrial activity and electricity demand grow. |
Elon Musk’s Companies Increase Activity Across TexasThe Boring Company: Work Begins At Morgan’sExcavation, heavy equipment and precast tunnel-liner components have been reported at Morgan’s Inclusion Tunnel in San Antonio. The connection is intended to link Morgan’s Wonderland with nearby facilities, including a hotel and care services. The established worksite is a construction milestone; a confirmed tunneling start, total budget and completion date remain to be announced. Tesla: Colorado River Tunnel ProposalA separate filing proposes a single-lane tunnel beneath the Colorado River near Giga Texas. TBC Project Development is identified as the applicant for the connection to Fallwell Lane. The latest proposal has no confirmed length, budget or construction timetable and is separate from Tesla’s operating Cybertunnel. |
Electrical Contractor Rankings EC&M Top 20 Electrical Contractors Houston-based Quanta Services leads the supplied EC&M 2026 ranking, with IES Holdings also in the top six. Austin’s Facility Solutions Group appears at No. 18, highlighting Texas’ presence among the largest electrical contractors. Texas has plenty to watch in this year’s lineup. From the grid connections feeding new industrial sites to the electrical systems inside data centers and advanced manufacturing plants, these contractors work at the heart of the building boom. The ranking offers a useful snapshot of the scale of the businesses competing for that work—and the Texas names to keep on your radar. |
Four Texas Projects To Watch1. Austin Region: Round Rock’s $1 Billion DistrictMark IV Capital has begun a reported 41,521-SF retail and restaurant phase comprising six buildings. The $1 billion figure covers the wider mixed-use master plan; tenant fit-outs and openings will follow their own schedules. 2. Lockheed Martin: $300 Million Manufacturing InvestmentAn October 14 ribbon-cutting marked expanded Grand Prairie facilities, including approximately 100,000 SF of new space and 85,000 SF converted from offices. Equipment and automation installation continue into 2027. 3. FedEx Cypress: $54.5 Million Distribution FacilityA reported filing outlines 220,466 SF for oversized packages near the Grand Parkway hub. The estimated construction window is January 19, 2027–February 23, 2028. 4. League City: $49.76 Million Park ContractCouncil approved the construction contract for the approximately 106-acre Pat Hallisey Park on October 13. Summer 2028 is the completion target; field mobilization is the next milestone. |
Offshore Data Centers Houston Firms Plan Gas-Powered Floating Data Centers Concept diagram: Offshore Data Center. Supplied by the publisher. Houston-based Riverway Group and Offshore Data Center have announced a partnership to develop offshore computing platforms powered by nearby natural-gas resources. The concept brings generation and computing together close to gas that may be uneconomic to bring ashore. The proposed design combines modular computing facilities with a closed-loop cooling system linked to deep-ocean cooling. For the construction sector, it brings marine platforms, power equipment, communications and data-center systems into one development program. A first site, construction budget and delivery date have not been announced. Confirmed engineering, environmental approvals, offshore permissions and financing remain the steps to watch before the concept becomes a construction project. |
Acquisitions 26North Agrees To Acquire MEI Industrial SolutionsThe Coppell-based equipment-moving and installation business is being acquired from Olympus Partners. Closing is targeted for Q4 2026, subject to conditions and approvals; the price has not been disclosed. |
Legal & Regulatory Watch Hood County Rejects Comanche Circle Permit AppealCommissioners rejected the proposed settlement and denied the developer’s permit appeal on October 13. The decisions are a setback for the proposed campus; they do not establish the outcome of any subsequent challenge. Harris County Seeks Earlier Data-center NotificationOctober 15 measures call for earlier reporting of development submissions and a review of regulatory powers. The action concerns oversight and visibility, rather than a new set of construction approvals. Prairie Energy Center: Reported Air-permit MilestoneA community group reports a preliminary TCEQ decision for NRG’s proposed 1.2GW power plant in Hill County. The decision letter has not been independently recovered in the published report; a final permit and construction start remain unconfirmed. |
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What We’re Watching Next- Samsung: November mobilization, phase scope and specialist delivery appointments.
- Oncor: rehearing decisions, right-of-way progress and construction sequencing for lines and switchyards.
- Moody: enclosure, plant installation and clinical fit-out ahead of the 2031 opening target.
- Tunnel delivery: confirmed excavation progress at Morgan’s and permitting details for the separate Colorado River proposal.
- Round Rock and Plano: retail tenant announcements at The District and final financing arrangements for the Stars arena district.
- Manufacturing and logistics: Lockheed’s equipment installation and FedEx’s filed January construction window.
- League City: park mobilization following the contract award.
- Offshore computing: a named pilot site, engineering scope and approvals that move the concept toward delivery.
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Before You Go.Thank you for reading The Texas Pour. Forward this edition to a colleague who wants to stay close to the projects, companies and decisions shaping Texas construction. Have a project milestone, team appointment or construction update we should cover? We’d like to hear from you. We’ll be back on Wednesday, October 21.
The Texas Construction Hub Team |
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