The city’s effort to build an $800 million data center took a significant step Wednesday as the Planning Commission recommended approval of the city’s project plan for a proposed tax incentive program.
The Tulsa Metropolitan Planning Commission’s vote was unanimous. The project plan, which commissioners determined is in compliance with the City of Tulsa’s Comprehensive Plan, will be submitted to the City Council for consideration later this month.
The project plan describes the general parameters of the proposed data center, including location, planned infrastructure improvements, and estimated economic impact. Most importantly, it shows how the proposal meets the legal requirements to receive the proposed tax benefits.
The city has not disclosed what companies are involved in the project. It is called Project Anthem in planning documents.
Others are also reading…
The proposal calls for building a data center on 340 acres south and west of the intersection of 11th Street and Creek Turnpike. This will be the first commercial project to break ground in the Fair Oaks Industrial Park, a development area city officials have been working to establish for years.
“We appreciate the Planning Commission’s action today to pave the way for investment in the Fair Oaks Industrial Park,” said Kian Camas, executive director of Partners Tulsa, the city’s economic development arm. Stated. “We look forward to continuing to work with our key partners over the coming weeks as we move forward with additional measures related to tax-favored districts.”
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 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.
Once the data center is operational, it will employ 50 full-time employees.
Partners in Tulsa officials said Wednesday that the companies supporting Project Anthem will not only build an on-site data center and related improvements, but also construct public infrastructure to support the development, including but not limited to water and road infrastructure. He also said that he would be held responsible.
The project site and surrounding area will also benefit from $50 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding awarded by the state for wastewater infrastructure improvements, officials said.
A data center generally refers to the physical structure that houses 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.
However, there are currently no public records naming the companies behind Project Anthem, and an attorney representing the developer said it is too early in the project to release that information publicly.
The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download now.
Users can customize the app to show the stories that matter most to them. You can also sign up for personalized notifications so you don’t miss any important news.
If you’re using a mobile phone, download it here now. apple store or google play
