Blueprint Projects Data Center

Project Overview

The proposed Blueprint Projects Data Center is 135,000 square foot data center which will house servers (computers) used for a variety of purposes including data storage, website hosting, Artificial Intelligence processing, and more. The project is planned in three phases with a total investment of $1 billion. The proposed location for the project is on the south east side of town, just inside Carlos G Parker Boulevard between Martin Luther King Boulevard and the railroad tracks. The facility is expected to feature three buildings, an electricity substation to power it, backup power generators, and a closed-loop cooling system.

Blueprint projects recently purchased the land from the Taylor EDC for $10 million. They have also received economic development incentives detailed below. 

Benefits to Taylor

With a $1 billion investment, the City and School district will see a tremendous benefit from this project. As the project does not expect to have many employees, there will not be a large increase in traffic, residences, and other strains on the community's resources while providing a large amount of income through sales tax, property taxes, and electricity fees. Over the next 10 years, we expect as much as $30 million in total additional revenue that can both be used to reduce property taxes and invest in our streets, sidewalks, parks, and other services. The school district projects as much as $20 million that could be use to improve facilities, increase teacher wages, and provide a better education to our students. Again, these benefits come without the cost of new students that would come with other development types. 

Community Concerns

The proposed project has received feedback from residents who live near the property. Some of the primary concerns include noise, light pollution, electro-magnetic fields, water pollution/contamination, and air pollution/contamination. Additionally, residents feel that the presence of an industrial building within the Carlos G Parker Boulevard loop and so close to residents is contrary to their desired development type for the area. They believe the building will be an eyesore and hurt property values. These concerns are addressed below both in the zoning and land use section and in the environmental study section. The City has worked with the developer to set a date for a community conversation about the data center on July 21 at 7pm at the Venue at 115 W 2nd Street.

Project Timeline

Zoning and Land Use

Since as far back as 2005, the property in question has been zoned industrial. In 2004, with the inclusion of a large variety of community input meetings including two at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, the City updated our comprehensive plan and future land use which identified the property to be developed industrial. In 2021, the City updated our comprehensive plan again with tremendous community input which designated future land uses and growth sectors. The property in question was designated employment center in the future land use map. In 2023, the land development code was updated to reflect the comprehensive plan. The new code designated the property as EC=Employment Center. 

What is EC: Employment Center?

In the land development code, employment center shall be used for job creation centers and building forms that do not fit within the character of the other Place Types. Basically, anything that is not downtown commercial or housing get this designation.

Environmental Impact

One of the biggest concerns from residents is environmental impact. Following resident feedback, the City hired HDR to conduct an environmental impact study. Below is a summary of their findings.