The Fort Worth City Council has approved a plan for a data center in the southern part of the city. Black Mountain will develop the site near Forest Hill Drive and Lon Stephenson Road south of I-20.
The council approved a plan to rezone 142 acres from agriculture and low density, single family residential to planned development for a data center.
At a meeting Tuesday night, some people who live nearby said they worry the center will lead to more traffic in residential areas.
"The city's going to make money, and we're thankful the city's going to make money," one woman said, asking for a delay in the council's vote. "We're not against the data center, but we do want a site plan."
The council did approve the plan with a stipulation the company provide a site plan. The company also agreed to route traffic along Forest Hill Drive and away from Lon Stephenson Road or neighborhood streets.
"We're putting additional restrictions on ourselves above and beyond the zoning category we're going for," says Black Mountain Chief Executive Rhett Bennett.
Bennett says Black Mountain hosted several town hall meetings in the area, and the company met with council members in Fort Worth, Everman and Forest Hill. He says the company also has letters of support from the superintendent of Everman ISD and principals of nearby schools.
"We're excited about it," he says. "I think these are the factories of our time. Digital infrastructure has a real place in society and potentially jobs of the future."
Fort Worth City Councilman Chris Nettles says the project would lead to less traffic than an apartment complex on the same land.
"We like this type of development versus multi-family in that corridor, especially with the traffic issues we do have with the Uplift school and others," he says.
Nettles says the project would create high paying jobs that are in demand.
The Fort Worth City Council also approved a 120 acre data center along Chisholm Trail Parkway near the Tarleton State campus in September.
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