Plans for a data center development outside Austin, Texas, have been withdrawn by the developer.

First reported by BizJournal and others, Zydeco Development has formally withdrawn its request to rezone a parcel of land in Hutto for data center development.

As reported earlier this month, the company had hoped to develop a data center at 450 Ed Schmidt Boulevard, totaling 225,000 sq ft (20,905 sqm) and offering 70MW. The development was known as Project Hutto.

News of the application withdrawal was announced by the city last week. As a result, the special planning and zoning commission meeting scheduled for today (April 20) has been canceled.

The site, in Williamson County, was previously zoned as multifamily and earmarked for a 173-house residential project. Local residents had announced two formal legal protests that could force a supermajority vote by the City Council on the project.

The proposal required amendments to both the city's future land use map and the 2040 comprehensive plan to convert the site's designation from multi-family residential to heavy industrial. City staff had recommended against approval.

"Our comprehensive plan reflects the community's vision for how Hutto should grow, and that vision guides how we evaluate every item that comes before us,” said Howard Koontz, City of Hutto director of development services. “As submitted, this proposal was not consistent with that vision. Thoughtful planning is a priority for the City, and we remain open to continued dialogue.”

The Austin-based Zydeco Development Corporation has experience with residential and business properties. It is the developer behind the 550-acre MetCenter Creative business park in Austin, which is also designed to accommodate data centers.

Hutto is part of the wider Austin area and is located around 28 miles (45km) northeast of the city. The area totals more than 40 data centers, with operators including Digital Realty, CyrusOne, DataBank, LightEdge, Rowan, Colovore, EdgeConneX, Tract, Prime, and others present.