Proposed Veale Ranch data center withdraws request for Fort Worth tax break
A proposed data center near Veale Ranch will not go forward with the support of a city of Fort Worth tax incentive.
Fort Worth economic development director Jessica Rogers announced the withdrawal in a notification to residents who had signed up to speak about the incentive at the May 12 council meeting.
“Please note that this withdrawal applies only to the requested economic incentive agreement. It does not constitute City action on broader issues related to data center development,” Rogers said in the notification.
Given the public interest in data centers, the City Council is scheduled to have a briefing at its June 2 work session about data center development, operations, infrastructure considerations, and community impact, she said.
Edged Data Centers, a subsidiary of sustainable infrastructure company Endeavor, is proposing to build the data center near the intersection of Interstate 20 and Chapin School Road.
The city of Fort Worth’s economic development department proposed during a March 3 City Council work session offering the company a 50% break on its equipment property taxes provided it met certain metrics around investment and jobs.
The company had to invest at least $1.1 billion to build and outfit the data center and create 50 jobs with an average annual salary of $73,000, according to the work session presentation.
The Fort Worth city council was scheduled to vote on the incentive at its March 31 meeting, however, the agreement drew from residents surrounding the site raising concerns about noise, electricity and water use and impacts to quality of life.
The council delayed the March 31 vote till May 12 before Edged withdrew its application on April 30.
“While I appreciate EDC Fort Worth, LLC’s decision to withdraw its tax abatement request, this situation raises an important question: was a tax abatement necessary for this project in the first place?” said Fort Worth City Council member Michael Crain, whose district includes the site of the proposed data center, in a statement to the Star-Telegram.
“As a City, we must ensure that every incentive we consider is evaluated transparently and meets a clear ‘but-for’ test—meaning the project would not happen without public support,” he said.
Crain noted the withdrawal does not end the city’s conversation about data centers.
The city needs to find the right balance between economic development and protecting neighborhoods, he said.
“I remain committed to working with residents and stakeholders to ensure development moves forward in a way that is thoughtful, safe, and beneficial for our entire community,” he said
Representatives for Edged could not immediately be reached for comment.
This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 12:28 PM.
.jpg)
