Austin cements itself as Apple’s ‘second city’ with approval of $8.6M incentive

We reported earlier this month that Apple was waiting on city officials from Austin, Texas to decide whether to offer the company an $8.6 million incentive over 10 years as part of Apple’s proposal to invest $304 million in a new campus. The Texas Enterprise Fund is already kicking in $21 million over 10 years as part of the deal, and last night the City Council unanimously approved the $8.6 million in incentives. According to a report from KXAN, this will initiate “the negotiation and execution of an Economic Development Agreement with APPLE INC,” but Travis County officials are still weighing the decision to offer Apple an additional $6 million in real estate related incentives…

If Apple goes through with the project in Austin, a new campus would begin construction later this year on 38 acres at West Parmer Lane and Delcour Drive. According to Statesman, it will become the company’s main Americas Operations Center. Phoenix and other possible locations for the new campus are rumored to be under consideration by Apple, but a KVUE report noted the city of Phoenix denied it was ever in the running.

There is criticisms that cash-strapped Apple is accepting millions in government incentives while the city is “slashing social services.” However, City Council Member Bill Spelman said the investment will be worth the new jobs, because the city is “six months away from the worst unemployment figure” since officials began tracking it.