In a time when COVID-19 has grounded nearly everything to a halt, development in Collin County is still growing strong.
The Allen Economic Development Corporation announced Thursday that Micron Technology, Inc., a leader in memory and storage solutions, is expanding its design engineering operations in Allen.
“We are thrilled that Micron, a leading-edge company, has decided to expand in Allen,” Dan Bowman, executive director of the AEDC, said in a Thursday afternoon press release. “Relocating into the amenity-rich Watters Creek District will be a welcome benefit for their employees. We know the new talent coming to Micron’s Allen location will enjoy our top-rated school system and walkability to restaurants and shopping.”
Located in the One Bethany West building, Micron recently opened with nearly 100,000 square feet of tenant leases, many during the COVID-19 pandemic. This new move will increase its space by 36,500 square feet and make room for an estimated 112 to 200 employees.
The nearby Watters Creek District site offers access to 50 restaurants and shops at the mixed-use center.
The development explosion in Collin County during COVID relates to a renewed and surging interest across the technology sector that aligns with growth trends in North Texas. The Allen EDC points out that the region boasts the seventh largest concentration of high-tech jobs in the U.S., including approximately 3,000 technology companies and nearly 230,000 high-tech employees.
Allen also ranks 28 percent higher in tech job concentration than the national average, with total technology jobs growing 5.9 percent each year for the past three years compared to the 2 percent national average.
“As a burgeoning tech hub, the City of Allen is a prime location for our design engineering teams working on advanced computing architectures,” said Jeff Koelling, senior director of design engineering at Micron. “Our new location accommodates our growing team focused on driving the world’s most advanced DRAM designs and 3D Xpoint memory devices for disruptive industry breakthroughs, including advanced applications in artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous vehicles.”
