ATX-RRK: Impact 11/7/2025

A fourth Whataburger is on the way at the southwest corner of A.W. Grimes and E. Palm Valley Boulevard in Round Rock.

What you need to know: Round Rock city staff confirmed the fast food chain is engaged in the permitting process for a future location at the corner of the intersection in November, with a site development permit issued in May. 

About the business: The chain restaurant is most known for its burgers, as well as chicken sandwiches, breakfast plates, salads and desserts.

Another data center may soon take shape in Round Rock, after a city commission gave initial approval for a new facility. 

What you need to know: The city of Round Rock's Planning & Zoning Commission gave preliminary approval for a proposed Skybox data center near E. Old Settlers Boulevard during a Nov. 5 meeting. 

Skybox is in the process of building data centers in nearby Hutto, Pflugerville and Taylor. 

The details: The proposal for the data center, which would be located on 29.69 acres near the junction of E. Old Settlers Boulevard and Kiphen Road, shows that the property itself and others it is adjacent to area zoned for industrial use. 

The air traffic control tower at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is staffed at just 45% of its target, according to U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett.

The overview: Only 27 controllers are currently assigned to a tower that needs 60 to meet federal recommendations. The Federal Aviation Administration attributes nationwide shortages to disrupted hiring and training cycles. Controller turnover remains a top issue, according to FAA reports. While the FAA plans to hire 8,900 controllers by 2028, projected departures mean only a net gain of about 2,000. 

The local lens: Those gaps have raised safety concerns. Since late 2022, the FAA has recorded six near-miss incidents at ABIA. 
Local leaders warn that without faster staffing relief, reliability and safety could suffer as Austin’s aviation demand rises.

Quote of note: “These staffing-related disruptions are now systemic, recurring with increasing frequency and intensity. ... With record-setting passenger growth and a multi-billion-dollar expansion underway, AUS cannot meet its operational or safety commitments without immediate staffing relief,” ABIA CEO Ghizlane Badawi wrote in a letter to FAA administrators.