Manor, a 153-year-old city on Austin's eastern edge, is undergoing a dramatic transformation after growing 225% between 2013 and 2023, according to Mayor Dr. Chris Harvey. In the latest episode of The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie, Harvey outlined the infrastructure sprint underway to accommodate an additional 22,000 residents expected by 2030, with 14,000 housing units already in the planning pipeline.
Harvey described the region as a "Golden Triangle of Opportunity," driven by semiconductor manufacturing, logistics hubs, and Samsung-related suppliers reshaping the area. The conversation focused on policy choices behind Manor's shift from a bedroom community to a full-service city. Key initiatives include building Manor's first 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.
"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. He also addressed efforts to diversify the tax base beyond residential property and recoup sales tax revenue committed away in a 1985 vote. The city's first comprehensive plan—a 600-page document mapping the next 30 years of growth—is now in place.
Harvey pushed back on assumptions about local tax policy, explaining that lowering the rate is a long game 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 collaboration with Manor ISD, which for years was the city's largest employer before logistics and semiconductor suppliers arrived. Harvey described regular meetings between the city manager and 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 safety, and public health.
The Building Texas Show, sponsored by Chisos Boots, travels the state to spotlight 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.
