TAYLOR, Texas — Samsung's move to Taylor is one of the largest developments in the nation's history. Now a church nearby wants to know if it will take up their land.
Construction should start next year, with the plant fully operational by the end of 2025. But plans on how it will be developed are not yet public.
Taylor's latest comprehensive plan was approved in November 2021 before the announcement of Samsung coming to the city. That plan doesn't include the Samsung development, but it accounts for the rapid growth Central Texas is seeing.
"We're already having to think about updating that comprehensive plan because having something on the scale of Samsung in Taylor, that is by its very nature going to influence growth and development and change our thinking about how Taylor builds out for years and decades to come," the city's Mayor Brandt Rydell said.
The 6-million square-foot semiconductor manufacturing facility is one of the largest direct foreign investments in Texas history and among the largest in U.S. history.
While there are specific requirements outlined in the development agreement, Taylor's planning department says infrastructure plans are still at the beginning stages, not ready to be shown.
It left church residents at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Taylor uncertain about the congregation's future.
Ric Gordon has been attending Immanuel Lutheran Church in Taylor for most of his life. A mile down the road is the site where Samsung's $17 billion chip plant is set to be built.
Samsung sent the church a proposal for a four-lane highway in May of 2021, meaning it could take some of its land.
"They [Samsung] indicated that there was a possibility of using some of the land on this East side, which is where the church is at," Gordon said. "In order to make the road itself wider we expect about a four lane road out there, divided road. If that happens they're going to get their land from someplace one side or the other."
The church and plant are both southwest of downtown Taylor.
Immanuel Lutheran Church is located on 411 Country Road 401 in Taylor. Samsung plans to build the plant near U.S. 79 and CR 401. It will be on more than 1,000 acres of land.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The original story was updated to reflect that the Samsung plant is to be constructed a mile from the homes of Taylor residents Spectrum News 1 spoke with in preparation for this story. (Dec. 14, 2021).