‘Mid-Sized and Mighty’: A Conversation About Growth and Abilene’s Next Chapter

Austin, Texas-Jul 1, 2026

As work continues on Oracle's data center project in Abilene, Texas, residents are seeing the visible side effects of economic growth. Roads are busier. Stores are fuller. And conversations about housing, infrastructure, and long-term planning have taken on new urgency.

Weighing those near-term changes against long-term opportunities is a key task for Misty Mayo, president and CEO of the Development Corporation of Abilene, which promotes economic growth in the region. She recently spoke about the questions local leaders asked early on as the project took shape.

Mayo also discussed what the project means for the city's tax base and infrastructure, as well as the benefits for Abilene's families, schools, and businesses. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: How would you describe Abilene to someone who has never been here?

Mayo: One of my favorite ways to describe Abilene is: we're 'mid-sized and mighty.'

We're innovative. We're filled with opportunity. We're warm, we're friendly, and we're serious about business. Abilene is a place where you're surprised. You're surprised that the hospitality and the size of our community are also met with an entrepreneurial spirit and innovation unlike any other community in our state.

Q: What did you think when you first got the call about a data center coming here?

Mayo: When we first took that call, I started doing exactly what we're supposed to do at the Development Corporation: ask questions. And the more questions we asked, the more we realized how much was unknown about hyperscale data centers, especially in a community that was already growing quickly in other industries.

It was an opportunity for us to diversify our industry base, and it was an opportunity for our community to do what we do so well: embrace new ideas, new concepts. That's part of the reason why I say Abilene is so innovative.

Q: Can you explain more about the land where the project is being built?

Mayo: It was taking an area in the county and bringing it into the community city limits, helping bring infrastructure. The first thing we do as economic development professionals is look at the taxes of the land and the value.

It represents new dollars on the tax rolls, which helps [the city and county] grow the community, improve infrastructure, and offer opportunities to our existing citizens and to our future citizens.

And that really just scratches the surface, because we're also talking about the school districts. We're talking about students who will benefit from new facilities as a result of the tax benefits these projects can bring.

Q: What else does that new tax revenue mean in practical terms?

Mayo: New tax revenue funds new roads. New tax revenue makes a new grocery store interested in expanding into your community, because now they can make money. New tax revenue means the guy who has one tractor and moves a little dirt for his neighbors now owns an entire company with several large-scale tractors and equipment, and he has now built a future for his company and a future for his family.

It means, for Abilene, a hotel occupancy tax increase because our hotels are filled. We had hotels that were blighted. We were thinking they would need to become other types of retail, and now they are thriving because our hotels are completely packed.

Q: Residents are seeing crowded stores, longer lines and more traffic amid the activity around the data center campus. What do you think about those everyday changes?

Mayo: That growth represents excitement. It represents opportunity. It represents a future for your community. And it's everything from the coffee shop to the grocery store.

Q: What have you seen in local businesses as the project has moved forward?

Mayo: There are days when I'll read in the local news about the sales tax and property tax revenue coming in and think about what that means for the community-what the city can now do with its budget, the infrastructure upgrades it can make, and the additional services it can provide for residents.

I also love when business owners tell me stories. A local banker told me that deposits from local entrepreneurs and small business owners have increased significantly.

One of my favorite examples is a friend of mine who was running a little taxi service - one limo and a single car. I ran into him at the airport the other day, and told me he had to rent six new cars because he can't keep up with demand. He's excited about the growth.

We're embracing this change. Whether it's the guy having to pick up six new cars or a city investing in new infrastructure, people are finding ways to leverage this growth and create opportunities for themselves and for the community.

Q: What does this mean for students and young people who may want to stay in Abilene or come back after college?

Mayo: This project represents an opportunity for today's students to build their futures right here in Abilene.

I have a senior in high school who is going off to college. She now has an opportunity to come back, build a career, and make a home here.

As a parent, it makes me feel elated because now I know that my children can come back to Abilene and be part of that future that we're building today. The prosperity of a community is what every parent hopes for their children - that they have the opportunity to prosper.

Q: What are you most proud of?

Mayo: Abilene has had many economic development successes over the last five years. We've had new manufacturing companies choose to expand in Abilene. We've had school districts building new facilities. We've had growth that the public and community members see.

That builds a sense of pride, and it builds a sense of community. And for that, I'm extremely proud.