The city is working on a development agreement to build an $800 million data center in far east Tulsa.
The facility, called “Project Anthem” in planning documents, is the city’s first major acquisition as it works to establish the area as a major employment center for high-tech companies.
In late 2022, Partners Tulsa, the city’s economic development arm, approved a joint development and purchase agreement with Fair Oaks LLC to build an industrial park and urban center on at least 2,000 acres of Fair Oaks Ranch.
The city also secured more than $50 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding for a major wastewater infrastructure project aimed at spurring economic development not only in Fair Oaks Ranch but throughout northeastern Oklahoma.
Project Anthem will be built on 340 acres southwest of the intersection of 11th Avenue and Creek Turnpike and, once operational, will employ 50 people and generate an average annual salary of He will earn $3,000.
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The project is expected to generate up to $3.3 billion in economic activity and more than 5,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs during the three-year construction period.
The data center is expected to generate up to $50 million in direct and indirect economic activity in its first year of operation.
The city last week declined to reveal the name of the company operating the data center.
“Since the state approved $50 million in ARPA funding for wastewater infrastructure and subsequently negotiated a joint development agreement to support construction of the Fair Oaks Industrial Park in east Tulsa, we are confident that our future We have continued this commitment, including proactively engaging with prospective tenants.Kian Kamath, Executive Director of Partners Tulsa, said:
“While we are unable to comment fully on ongoing projects, we look forward to continuing to work with relevant legislative bodies as we move forward in our efforts to develop Tulsa’s footprint and support the growth of major employers.”
A data center generally refers to a physical structure that stores a company’s digital data and includes servers, storage drives, networking equipment, etc.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, recently announced or started building several data centers that fit the Project Anthem brief.
For example, an $800 million Meta data center is under construction in Kansas City’s Northland, and in January, Indiana’s governor announced that Meta was building an $800 million data center in the state.
In total, the company has nearly 20 data centers under construction or in operation, according to its website.
But as of now, there are no public records naming the companies behind Project Anthem, and lawyers representing the developer said it is too early in the project to release that information publicly.
Meta did not respond to an email from Tulsa World seeking confirmation whether the company is affiliated with Project Anthem.
The Planning Commission on Wednesday will consider a resolution recommending City Council approval, saying the city’s business plan for the proposed tax-incentive district is compatible with the city’s comprehensive plan.
The proposed TID would be in effect for up to 25 years and would exempt new property owners from 85% of their annual property taxes. The 15% levy is estimated to raise a total of more than $36 million over the life of TID for the City of Tulsa, Wagoner County, Catoosa Public Schools, and other affected taxing entities, according to the TID project plan. It is being
The City Council has already approved the zoning for the proposed project. Assuming the Planning Commission approves the resolution Wednesday, the next step will be for City Council members to vote on the TID proposal.
A vote in favor of the incentive agreement would clear the way for Meta and other companies supporting the project to complete the purchase of the property and begin construction.
Mayor GT Bynum said he appreciated what had been done to remove red tape and bring a generation of new businesses to the city’s development sites.
“We are extremely proud of the work our team and partner Tulsa have done in bringing this site to the attention of some great companies. We’re grateful to the state and others for doing so,” Bynum said.
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