Manor, Texas, a 153-year-old city on Austin's eastern edge, is undergoing a dramatic transformation as it prepares for a population boom that saw a 225% increase between 2013 and 2023. In the latest episode of The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie, Mayor Dr. Chris Harvey detailed the city's efforts to build foundational infrastructure for the first time in its history, including a city-owned library, recreation center, and a proposed 50-bed hospital.
Manor is expecting an additional 22,000 residents by 2030, with 14,000 housing units already in the planning pipeline. The growth is driven by semiconductor manufacturing, logistics hubs, and Samsung-related suppliers, creating what Harvey calls the region's "Golden Triangle of Opportunity." The city is working to diversify its tax base beyond residential property and recoup sales tax revenue committed away in a 1985 vote.
"Our city is 153 years old and this is the first time we're building these facilities. And so that's phase one," Harvey told McKenzie. The city's first ever comprehensive plan, a 600-page document, maps the next 30 years of growth. A recent bond election funded the library and recreation center, while a feasibility study supports the proposed hospital, anchored by a relationship with St. David's, which already operates a full-service emergency center downtown.
Harvey also addressed tax policy, explaining that lowering the rate is a long-term goal tied to economic development. "The tax rate is not the tax rate because we want it to be a high tax rate. Being able to get to a lower tax rate is city leadership's dream," he said, describing efforts to recover sales tax dollars and reinvest them into roads, parks, and drainage.
The episode also explored workforce development partnerships with Manor ISD, which was for years the city's largest employer before logistics and semiconductor suppliers arrived. Harvey described regular meetings between the city manager and the superintendent to share demographic data, coordinate employer recruitment, and connect new companies to college, career, and military pathways for students.
McKenzie drew a broader Texas parallel, noting that Garland is currently the largest city in the country without a hospital and that Bastrop faces similar healthcare gaps, framing Manor's 50-bed hospital ambitions as part of a statewide reckoning with suburban growth, public health, and public safety.
The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie, travels the state to spotlight the mayors, builders, employers, and civic leaders shaping Texas communities. This episode with Manor Mayor Dr. Chris Harvey is available now wherever podcasts are heard, and on YouTube.
