I know about the airport. I was talking about MOPAC and Ann Richards.
Politicians from both parties have been pulling that crap since forever. They find out the government is going to build a lake so they go into a “partnership” with some money people and buy up the land. They then get to sell the “lake” land to the government PLUS they get the lakefront properties. Talk about insider trading. It goes on at all levels of government.
There was an odd case that occurred in the 80’s when they were planning to expand Texas 71 W/US 290 W into 4-lane limited access out to Sunset Valley and Oak Hill, just short of the 71/290 split southwest of town.
A nice snazzy office building went up along the route, about 8 stories tall.
It was never occupied. Got torn down because it was partly on the right-of-way of the planned highway widening, which began a year or so after the demolition.
Most likely just a planning snafu, but just possibly some kind of scam at the government’s—our—expense. What a waste, in any case.