Data center gets zoning OK for S1billion project More data centers eyeing Taylor for investment
After several delays, Blueprint Data Centers landed initial rezoning approval of 52 acres purchased from the Taylor Economic Development Corp. last year and could start construction soon at 1601 E. MLK Jr. Blvd.
The City Council will take up final rezoning approval Thursday to designate the project as an “employment center” under the city’s comprehensive development plan.
The project, while only expected to add about 30 permanent jobs, will see three construction phases that will create ongoing employment even as certain assignments at nearby Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.’s semiconductor foundry and RCR Taylor Rail Logistics Park come to an end.
Blueprint officials, who also are working on a smaller data center project in Georgetown, anticipate the Taylor center will eventually spend at least $1 billion on construction and equipment over the next 10 years.
More data centers are in the works for the region and in talks with the Taylor economic development officials to explore location options, utility availability and tax-break incentives.
Data center Skybox is well underway in developing a facility in Hutto. Plano-based CM Realty, which owns 48 acres next to Samsung Austin Semiconductor on CR 401, is exploring data center or warehouse tenants in the budding business park currently known as Taylor48 LLC.
Blueprint founder and CEO Yaerid Jacob told the Taylor Planning and Zone Commission the company has letters of intent from tenants that will completely fill the eventual 135,000-square-foot project.
Last August, Blueprint secured a 50% rebate on property taxes for 10 years on each of the three phases of construction. In addition, the city and Taylor EDC will give the company a 50% rebate on local salesand- use tax collected on construction materials purchases.
While the city will give up some tax revenue, the huge increase in the taxable value of the land, building improvements and high-dollar technology in the data centers will have a positive impact on tax collections and pay off even more once the incentive period is over, officials said.
Electricity availability was part of the draw to East Williamson County but it also was the sticking point that delayed the original July start date for Blueprint construction crews to move forward.
Oncor Electric Delivery Co., the same Dallas-based power supplier providing electricity to Samsung’s Taylor campus, has been inundated with requests to attest to various municipalities that it can provide enough power to the prospective customer.
Ben White, CEO of the Taylor EDC, said the extra time getting that affirmation from Oncor prolonged the Blueprint deal coming to fruition.
With that in hand, Blueprint can promise tenants the ability to provide 30 megawatts and the company’s website shows it has plans to be able to provide up to 60 megawatts.
For comparison, 30 megawatt hours can power up to 9,000 homes for a day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. White said the focus on geologically and weather-stable areas such as Central Texas and the availability of a consistent supply of electricity is what has data-center developers talking with city economic development entities across the region.
“Electrical infrastructure is a driver for it,” White said. “There also are less chances of a damaging weather event than, say, Houston,” which is susceptible to hurricanes.
Data centers around the country also are big water users, but Blueprint officials plan to account for a scarcity of water resources across much of Texas.
The cooling system needed to keep the vast array of computer servers cold enough to function will be closedloop with recirculating water that is filled just once instead of evaporative cooling systems that lose water in the process.
