This Texas City Is Growing So Fast They Can't Build Infrastructure Fast Enough

Manor, Texas, a 153-year-old city on Austin's eastern edge, is in the midst of an infrastructure sprint as it grapples with explosive growth. The city grew 225% between 2013 and 2023, and with an additional 22,000 residents expected by 2030 and 14,000 housing units in the planning pipeline, Mayor Dr. Chris Harvey says the city is playing catch-up on basic civic amenities. In the latest episode of The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie, Harvey explains how Manor is preparing for its transformation from a bedroom community into a full-service city. The conversation covers the city's first-ever city-owned library and recreation center, funded through a recent bond election, and a feasibility study for a proposed 50-bed hospital anchored by a relationship with St. David's, which already operates a full-service emergency center downtown. Harvey is candid about why Manor is only now building these facilities. "Our city is 153 years old and this is the first time we're building these facilities. And so that's phase one," he tells McKenzie. The mayor also addresses the city's tax policy, pushing back on assumptions that high rates are intentional. "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," Harvey says, describing efforts to recover sales tax dollars committed away in a 1985 vote and reinvest them into roads, parks, and drainage. The episode also explores how Manor is coordinating workforce development with Manor ISD, which was for years the city's largest employer before logistics and semiconductor suppliers arrived. Harvey describes regular meetings between the city manager and superintendent to share demographic data and connect new companies to career pathways for students. McKenzie draws 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. Listen to this Episode