A potential high-tech manufacturing facility worth $10 billion at Texas A&M’s RELLIS campus in Bryan could bring 1,800 jobs and over $31 million in annual city revenue a decade from now, according to the agenda for Tuesday’s Bryan City Council meeting.
Both the Brazos County Commissioners Court and the Bryan
City Council will consider approving a tax abatement agreement during separate meetings Tuesday that would pave the way for the project to come to the RELLIS campus. Bryan city staff recommended approval of the proposed tax abatement agreement.
City staff analysis states this presents an “incredible economic development opportunity for the City of Bryan” and adds this will be the epicenter for the
region’s high-technology ecosystem bringing together the private sector with the research and development capabilities of the Texas A&M University System.”
The RELLIS Central Utility Plant on the Texas A&M RELLIS
campus in Bryan.
Meredith Seaver
The city council
agenda was posted the same day that A&M’s Board of Regents approved an item during a special meeting to give A&M officials authorization to begin negotiating the terms of agreements and a ground lease for a manufacturing facility at the RELLIS campus.
The 2,000-acre, A&M-owned RELLIS campus is located at the intersection of Texas 21 and Texas 47 and has become a hub for academic, government
and industry partners to collaborate in applied research for various initiatives. Since it was founded in 2016, the A&M System and state have invested over $1 billion in various initiatives.
A&M Chancellor John Sharp gave limited information on the proposed project last month and said he couldn’t get into further details since he signed a non-disclosure agreement. Sharp, who announced his June
2025 retirement on Monday, offered no details after Wednesday’s meeting. There is no firm timeline on an announcement regarding the possible manufacturing facility.
The proposed general tax abatement agreement terms are for 10 years. The abatement percentage is listed at 80% for the first five years and drops to 50% for the remaining five years. The guaranteed value of the tax abatement authorized begins
at $100 million in Year 1 and increases to $10 billion by Year 7.
The city council agenda says the employment count of the project begins at 25 in Year 1 and grows to 1,000 by Year 6. An estimated 1,800 jobs are expected by Year 10.
The city’s projected new ad valorem tax revenue based upon the guaranteed value referenced in the proposed agreement — after the annual abatement has been granted — shows city revenue will start at just $124,800 in Year 1, but grows to a sustained $31.2 million by Year 7. City staff said the Brazos Central Appraisal
District’s current 2024 estimate of net taxable value for the city to be certified on or before July 25 is just north of $9.9 billion.
As an inducement for Bryan to enter into the tax abatement agreement, city staff said in the agenda that America’s Foundry Bryan shall make certain payments in lieu of taxes to the city in an amount equal to 5% of the aggregate amount of that year’s abated city taxes.
City staff noted the revenues collected will be used for “the enhancement of the quality of life of Bryan citizens,” including infrastructure or programs for: parks, recreation and exercise; libraries; aesthetic enhancements to public spaces; public education; senior citizen services; youth services; and healthy lifestyles.
The city council’s agenda says Bryan has followed the A&M System’s lead and
has been engaged with America’s Foundry Bryan, LLC, to potentially establish high-tech manufacturing facilities located within RELLIS Reinvestment Zone No. 1. The project would be located on a 288-acre parcel on the RELLIS campus that was created as a reinvestment zone last month by the city council to allow for property tax breaks. Bryan city staff said the purpose of the designation was to attract a significant economic development project with the A&M System.
The scope of the project would include a minimum of around $5 billion worth of buildings and other property improvements along with a minimum of
$5 billion in tangible personal property, including machinery and equipment, according to legal notices. The project would include housing one or more manufacturing plants, and other buildings and facilities that would support the operation of the plants.
Bryan city staff noted engagement with a prospect has been ongoing over the past year and involved officials from the A&M System, as well as the state and federal government.
A&M’s aspirations and announced plans in the semiconductor sector have led to speculation that the project could be related to semiconductors.
The Brazos Valley Economic Development Corporation took a delegation of city leaders on a trip to Japan last month to discuss possible international business opportunities.
Susan Davenport, president and CEO of the BVEDC, told The Eagle that five semiconductor companies were represented at meetings during their trip and many showed great interest in the work that was being conducted on the RELLIS campus.
