Far-north Fort Worth is about to get a very different kind of neighbor. City officials have signed off on preliminary grading for a proposed $2.1 billion data-center campus on 107 acres near Saginaw Boulevard and Hicks Field Road, the first visible move on a multi-building complex that developers say will roll out in two phases over the next decade.
The early green light lets crews start modest earthwork while the larger plan is still under the microscope. As reported by the Fort Worth Star‑Telegram, the council approved an initial grading permit for ACS Group even as a comprehensive grading permit remains under review. The outlet noted ACS could not be reached for comment and previously sought a performance-based economic development agreement with the city.
Project Specs And Slow-Burn Timeline
According to project registration on file with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the first phase centers on a two-story, 251,303-square-foot building. Plans call for about 14,993 square feet of administrative space and two data halls of roughly 25,075 square feet each. The filing lists January 26, 2026, as the construction start date and June 26, 2027, as the completion date for that initial building, matching the developer’s phased rollout schedule.
City economic presentations and council records show the full buildout is expected in two phases stretching through 2034. Over a ten-year span, city staff project the campus will bring in about $57.9 million in new tax revenue even after incentive payments, according to the Houston Chronicle. Those numbers helped sell the deal to local leaders, even as some at City Hall and in nearby neighborhoods asked whether the long game pencils out.
Big Incentives, Not-So-Big Headcount
Under the economic development agreement approved last spring, ACS is set up for a series of stepped rebates on incremental business personal property. The rebates start at 35 percent after phase one and can climb to as much as 70 percent after phase two, but only if the company hits required construction and equipment benchmarks. The package obligates ACS to invest about $481.6 million in real property and nearly $1.7 billion in business personal property, while committing to roughly 37 full-time jobs with an average annual salary target, according to the Dallas Business Journal…