City council members approved a proposal for a data center in the southwestern outskirts of Fort Worth city limits on September 17th. The 7-2 vote secured the fate of the 121-acre project, which is part of the larger 1,756-acre Rock Creek Ranch Master Plan.

Residents of Panther Heights, a subdivision near the property, originally had fears the data center would endanger the environment and aesthetic appeal of the area. Arizona-based landowner Walton Global countered that the data center would not pose any threats, but instead boost the economy in the city. The majority of leaders in Fort Worth agreed.

“Some of the concerns that were raised tonight, as well as throughout this entire process, you have addressed,” said District 6 council member Jared Williams, addressing the developer’s team. “The benefits are really great for this project.”

The project was first pitched by Walton representatives to the zoning commissioners in May with hopes of securing two special permissions. While the city had previously authorized commercial buildings on the parcel, data centers as an acceptable land use and the increase of maximum building height were required to bring the project to fruition.

“This site is highly sought after for a major data center investment,” said Walton-affiliated consultant Travis Clegg of Rock Creek Ranch, pointing to the property’s proximity to the freeway, Tarleton State University, and nearby homes. “That data center could process data for AI services, cell phone connectivity, cloud storage, and streaming services.”

A budget analyst in Fort Worth forecast the city would take in $ 5million in tax revenue annually from the data center project after its completion, and the Crowley school district could levy nearly $9.5 million from the property.

“The data center is the best choice for this parcel of land,” said David Beckman, a long-time Panther Heights resident and once firm opponent of the project. He and his neighbors, he explained, feared massive influxes of noise, people, and traffic; a data center, he reasoned, invited far less of each than a shopping center or bundle of apartments.

Representatives of landowner Walton Global and the undisclosed developer of the project pledged to include trails and green spaces that separate the data center from the nearby subdivision, which would prevent construction vehicles from using residential streets and beautify the property as a whole.