$2.1 Billion Data Center Coming to Fort Worth, Employing Just 37 People

Fort Worth, Texas, is preparing to host a massive new data center campus developed by the Spanish infrastructure giant ACS Group. Set on a 107-acre site near Hicks Field Road, the project will be constructed in two phases, with Phase One expected by the end of 2031 and Phase Two by 2034. The first building will span approximately 251,000 square feet, including two 25,000-square-foot data halls and nearly 15,000 square feet of administrative space. Ultimately, the campus could include five buildings and an adjacent substation. The $2.1 billion investment underscores Fort Worth’s ambition to become a significant hub for high-capacity digital infrastructure, joining a state already home to roughly 220 data centers.

Despite the project’s scale, operational staffing will be comparatively modest, with only 37 full-time employees projected, each earning a minimum annual salary of $150,000. This contrast highlights a growing trend in Texas and nationwide: municipalities offering generous incentives to attract highly capital-intensive data centers that create few direct jobs. Fort Worth City Council has approved property tax abatements for up to ten years, contingent on ACS meeting phased investment and employment benchmarks. Even with these incentives, city projections suggest the campus could generate close to $58 million in tax revenue over a decade, reflecting the complex balance between investment attraction and public benefit.

The project timeline illustrates the long-term nature of such developments. Initial construction is set to begin in early 2026, with completion of the first facility by mid-2027. The phased approach allows ACS to scale the campus gradually while managing investment risk and aligning infrastructure with technological demand. This incremental model is increasingly common among data center developers, allowing cities like Fort Worth to plan for economic impact while accommodating potential environmental and community concerns over time.

Spain’s ACS, BlackRock’s GIP form €2bn data center venture: ACS Group and BlackRock-owned Global Infrastructure Partners are launching a joint venture that will… https://t.co/8fk89GaCNM #AlternativeInvestments pic.twitter.com/tff3LF9Dvq

— AlphaMaven Hedge Funds (@AlphaMavenHF) November 17, 2025

ACS Group: Global Expertise and Strategic Expansion

ACS Group, headquartered in Madrid, Spain, has long been known for ambitious infrastructure projects, from Dubai’s Burj Khalifa to Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium. In recent years, the company has strategically pivoted from client-based construction to developing its own data centers, which it leases or sells to customers. The Fort Worth campus fits within a global pipeline totaling 5GW of potential capacity, with 1.1GW already under development across Spain, Australia, the U.S., and Chile. This shift represents a deliberate response to the growing global demand for high-capacity digital infrastructure, positioning ACS as a leader in technologically sophisticated, large-scale facilities.

The company’s expertise extends beyond construction to operational design tailored for energy efficiency and sustainability. ACS has developed data centers for clients such as Meta and Vantage, integrating advanced environmental controls, cooling systems, and water management strategies. The Fort Worth campus will incorporate a water loop system to minimize consumption and a design that reduces noise below standard industry levels. These operational strategies reflect ACS’s recognition that modern data centers must balance performance, environmental stewardship, and community impact to remain viable in densely populated or resource-sensitive regions.

ACS’s international footprint gives Fort Worth additional strategic value. The company’s experience in diverse regulatory and construction environments allows it to navigate local permitting and incentive programs efficiently. Fort Worth’s tax incentives, including phased property tax abatements, align with ACS’s investment approach, providing both financial predictability and long-term operational flexibility. For city planners and economic development officials, this combination of global expertise and phased development provides confidence that the project will deliver both technological capacity and measurable economic benefits.

Economic Incentives and Municipal Strategy

Fort Worth’s incentive package illustrates the strategic balancing act cities face in attracting data center investment. ACS is committed to nearly $482 million in real property improvements and $1.7 billion in business personal property investment, tied to clearly defined milestones over the next decade. While the workforce is limited, the high salaries and anticipated long-term tax revenue position the project as an economic asset. City planners emphasize that such developments can elevate Fort Worth’s profile as a technology and infrastructure hub, attracting additional investment in complementary industries.

Municipalities offering substantial incentives for projects with few direct jobs is not unique to Fort Worth, but the scale of the ACS investment underscores the stakes involved. Cities must weigh potential economic returns against the cost of tax rebates and other concessions, while also considering long-term operational impacts, such as energy consumption and infrastructure demands. This negotiation reflects a broader debate in urban planning: how to attract global investment while ensuring tangible benefits for local residents.

The phased incentive model allows the city to monitor ACS’s progress and tie tax abatements to specific investment and employment milestones. This approach reduces risk for taxpayers while incentivizing the developer to meet its commitments. It also reflects a growing trend among municipalities nationwide to structure agreements that balance corporate needs with public accountability, a model increasingly critical in the high-capital, low-employment world of data centers.

BlackRock will pay up to €2 billion to launch a new data-center venture with Spanish engineering group ACS. pic.twitter.com/9gP3SKh8NF

— William Jones (@WJones_Global) November 14, 2025

Environmental Impact and Sustainability Measures

Large data centers are notoriously resource-intensive, consuming significant electricity and water. In Fort Worth, environmental concerns have prompted scrutiny from advocacy groups and local residents alike. ACS has committed to minimizing water usage through a closed-loop system and incorporating energy-efficient technologies in cooling and power distribution. Noise mitigation strategies and the inclusion of buffer zones between the campus and residential areas are also part of the design, demonstrating a proactive approach to community and environmental responsibility.

The project reflects a broader shift in data center planning, where sustainability is integral rather than ancillary. Reducing operational impact not only addresses community concerns but also aligns with corporate and global standards for environmental responsibility. As cities increasingly host digital infrastructure, developers like ACS recognize that operational efficiency, water conservation, and noise reduction are critical to long-term viability.

ACS’s measures also indicate a potential model for future developments. By combining advanced technology, thoughtful site planning, and operational controls, the Fort Worth campus aims to reconcile the need for massive computational capacity with sustainable practices. This dual focus on efficiency and environmental stewardship could become a benchmark for similar large-scale projects nationwide.

Technological Infrastructure and Innovation

The Fort Worth campus will integrate cutting-edge technological systems to support large-scale digital operations. Advanced cooling, power distribution, and modular design enable scalability and future upgrades, ensuring the facility can accommodate evolving demands for cloud computing, AI workloads, and enterprise storage. This forward-thinking infrastructure reflects the necessity of resilience in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Redundancy and security are central to the design. Multiple layers of backup power and network connectivity ensure nearly uninterrupted operation, a key requirement for data centers serving global clients. The facility’s design also allows potential integration with renewable energy sources and AI-driven operational management, positioning it as a long-term strategic node in global digital infrastructure.

By prioritizing technological resilience, the Fort Worth campus is not merely a storage facility but a critical hub supporting international data flows. Its infrastructure supports Fort Worth’s ambition to become a regional leader in digital infrastructure, attracting related businesses and reinforcing the city’s reputation as a technology-forward municipality.

Community and Workforce Considerations

Although the campus will employ a relatively small number of workers, each position is high-skilled and well-compensated. These roles can stimulate local technical training and workforce development initiatives, creating indirect benefits beyond direct employment. Fort Worth leaders are exploring ways to leverage the project to support education and workforce programs in technology and engineering fields.

Community engagement has been integral to planning. Residents expressed concerns about noise, water use, and property values, prompting ACS to implement buffer zones and operational mitigations. This collaboration demonstrates that even highly capital-intensive projects must actively address the interests of surrounding communities to ensure long-term acceptance and minimize disruption.

The careful attention to workforce development and community engagement shows that data centers can contribute positively beyond immediate economic impact. Projects like Fort Worth’s illustrate how thoughtful planning can maximize social and educational benefits while maintaining operational efficiency and profitability.

Implications and Takeaways

The ACS Fort Worth campus illustrates the trade-offs inherent in modern digital infrastructure. Massive investment delivers technological capacity, economic activity, and tax revenue but creates limited direct employment and requires significant resources. Municipalities must carefully weigh incentives, sustainability, and community impact against potential economic gains.

Lessons from Fort Worth’s experience include the value of phased development, environmental and noise mitigation, proactive community engagement, and transparent planning. Cities must ensure that large-scale infrastructure projects deliver measurable benefits, including workforce development, local economic stimulation, and sustainable operational practices. As data center development continues to accelerate nationwide, Fort Worth offers both a model and a cautionary tale for balancing economic ambition with social and environmental responsibility.