Yesterday, April 30, 2026 was the most significant news day for the former 3M campus on River Place Blvd since SB Energy purchased the property in March.
Two separate stories published. Read together, they fundamentally change what this development means for Four Points, Steiner Ranch, and the broader Lake Travis corridor.
What’s confirmed: R&D lab, not a data center
Four Points News published the first story yesterday morning. SB Energy confirmed on an April 20 call with the 2222 Coalition of Neighborhood Associations: the COSMOS campus at 6801 River Place Blvd — officially now called Highpoint 2222 — will be an R&D lab, not a large-scale data center.
City of Austin filings confirm this. The Electrical Record Set specifies approximately 5 megawatts of planned power draw. A typical large data center requires 100 megawatts to multiple gigawatts. The planned rooms are named Firmware Lab, Thermal Chamber, Rack Lab, and Machine Shop. AI chip design and testing.
What’s reported: Austin Business Journal names Arm Holdings
The second story, published by Austin Business Journal yesterday afternoon, goes significantly further.
Multiple sources confirmed to ABJ that it is well-known within the market and nationally that British semiconductor giant Arm Holdings will be part of operations at Highpoint 2222.
This has not been officially confirmed. Arm declined to comment for the ABJ story. SB Energy declined further comment. Arm’s quarterly earnings report is scheduled for May 6 — the most likely window for an official announcement.
Who is Arm Holdings
Arm Holdings designs CPU architecture — the foundational instruction set that chip manufacturers license to build their own processors. Apple, Qualcomm, Samsung, NVIDIA, and nearly every other major semiconductor company in the world licenses Arm’s designs. Every iPhone. Every Android device. An increasing share of AI chips.
Arm is publicly traded on Nasdaq. Not a startup. Foundational infrastructure for the global technology industry.
They already have more than 1,000 employees in Austin, currently based at Encino Trace in southwest Austin, with an expansion already under construction that will double their space. Arm executives have spoken publicly about Austin expansion plans in recent months
What this means for Four Points and Steiner Ranch
The confirmed facts alone already change the neighborhood story. A 156-acre campus vacant since 2019 is being activated as a precision R&D operation. The feared data center scenario is definitively off the table.
If the ABJ sourcing on Arm holds, the implications go further.
Senior semiconductor engineers are among the most highly compensated professionals in the technology industry. They are buyers, not renters. They value proximity to work, school quality, outdoor access, and neighborhood stability. Steiner Ranch, Four Points, River Place, and Lakeway offer all of those things and sit closest to Highpoint 2222.
What to watch
May 6 Arm earnings call is the next major milestone. Questions that matter most for the neighborhood: employee count and traffic impact. The 2222 Coalition is actively seeking answers on both. SB Energy has committed to community open houses in the coming months.
I have been tracking this development since the first TDLR permit filings appeared in early 2026. Full update the moment Arm or SB Energy makes an official announcement.
If you own a home in Four Points, Steiner Ranch, River Place, or Lakeway — or if you have been considering buying in any of these neighborhoods — this story belongs in your decision-making.
Sources: Four Points News, April 30, 2026. Austin Business Journal, April 30, 2026. 2222 Coalition of Neighborhood Associations Nextdoor post, April 23, 2026.
