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Temple approves purchase and development agreements tied to data-center projects and landfill expansion
Summary
Council approved assignment of a purchase agreement for ~147.47 acres (~$15.3M) and development agreements for two large data-center projects—Project Temple and Project Stampede—along with related commitments for infrastructure and potential tax abatement. Motions passed unanimously.
Temple’s City Council on Nov. 20 approved three related agreements tied to data-center development and landfill planning: an assignment of a purchase/escrow agreement for roughly 147.47 acres (about $15.3 million) with Rowan Terra LLC, a development agreement for a 554-acre Project Temple site, and a development agreement for a 270-acre Project Stampede site. Each action passed on unanimous votes.
City staff, represented by Mr. Olson, said the 147.47-acre tract sits adjacent to the Temple landfill and could provide additional landfill capacity; staff estimated the city currently has about 23 years of life left in the existing landfill footprint and that acquiring the tract could provide up to roughly 50 additional years depending on operations. Rowan agreed to assign its purchase agreement and transfer preliminary engineering studies and designs to the city; the city will assume the purchase agreement and an existing earnest-money deposit of just under $450,000.
The agreement includes an option/feasibility period extending through June 2, 2026. Staff said the city will declare official intent to reimburse initial due-diligence and earnest-money expenditures with proceeds from 2026 certificates of obligation. The development agreements for the two data-center projects set phased permitting and construction procedures (grading, utilities/foundations, then vertical construction), allow temporary certificates of occupancy building-by-building as completed, and contemplate a separate utility services agreement to govern water and wastewater.
Mr. Olson also noted language addressing potential utility relocation and dedicating an electric utility easement as needed; the agreements also reference previously approved tax abatement conditions. Council moved and voted on items 8a, 8b and 8c separately; each passed 5-0.
Council did not record additional public testimony on these items during the Nov. 20 meeting. The actions authorize further feasibility work and allow the city to use transferred materials and deposit information from Rowan to evaluate infrastructure, utility alignments and landfill planning prior to any final acquisition or construction.
