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The BNSF Intermodal facility at Alliance Texas. (Courtesy photo | Hillwood)
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Now celebrating 35 years, the 27,000-acre AllianceTexas development generated an estimated $9.84 billion in regional economic impact in 2023 and paid almost $344.6 million in property taxes to local governments, according to a new report. 

“AllianceTexas continues to be a sustainable economic engine for the State of Texas, creating thousands of jobs while serving as a corporate base to some of the world’s most iconic brands, including Amazon, FedEx, BNSF Railway, Meta, Charles Schwab, Fidelity Investments, Deloitte and UPS, among dozens of others,” Mike Berry, president of Hillwood, said in a statement.

Berry presented the report to the Fort Worth City Council on Feb. 6. 

As an example of that impact, Insight Research Corp.’s annual economic report cited the expansion of Southwire, one of the leading manufacturers of wire and cable used in the transmission and distribution of electricity. The company has expanded its operations within AllianceTexas, leasing 1.18 million square feet at Alliance Westport 25. That expansion included the addition of 250 new jobs. 

“Southwire wasn’t the only deal we did last year, but it was certainly one of the bigger ones,” Berry told the City Council. “It’s a unique deal because it kept growing during the process.” 

A page from the report presented to the Fort Worth City Council on Feb. 6 on the economic impact of Alliance. (Courtesy | Hillwood) 

Berry also cited the establishment of a regional headquarters for Chicago-based ecommerce industrial distribution company McMaster-Carr Supply, which is making a $360 million investment at Alliance. 

Alliance also filled the space left by the former American Airlines maintenance base, after it was empty for several years. MTU Maintenance Dallas Inc. relocated from Dallas to the  430,000-square-foot facility.

“It was quiet for a while, but now the whole place is hopping,” Berry said. “There are wide-body jets all over the place.” 

In 2022, Alliance Airport was officially renamed Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport. The airport became the No. 19-ranked airport for U.S. cargo operations in terms of volume, with 2.5 billion pounds of cargo being moved in 2023, a 4.5% increase.

Perot Field is the only non-passenger airport in the top 20, Berry said. 

“That’s a really positive trend,” he said. 

AllianceTexas is home to 574 companies. Developers have built 58 million square feet of office, retail and industrial space in the project since it broke ground in 1989, according to the report. 

Several major companies have a big presence in the area. Financial services firm Charles Schwab is working on the fourth building in its headquarters in the Circle T Ranch, and Deloitte is adding to its campus. 

A slide from the Hillwood presentation to the Fort Worth City Council on the impact of the AllianceTexas development. (Courtesy photo | Hillwood)

AllianceTexas also is home to the Mobility Innovation Zone that looks to add next-generation supply chain and delivery solutions. Manna, Europe’s leading delivery operator, announced its last-mile delivery services entry into the U.S. at the zone and Gatik continues using the platform to further commercialize its autonomous technology.

While the report centered on the AllianceTexas development, Berry also mentioned Hillwood’s recent acquisition of a full city block in the heart of downtown Fort Worth. The property is located near the rapidly growing downtown southern corridor, not far from the construction taking place at the Texas A&M University campus and the Fort Worth Convention Center. 

“There’s been a huge amount of interest just since we announced that acquisition,” said Berry. 

Though Hillwood does not yet know what it will do with the site, he said, Hillwood is “going to look for more ways to expand our footprint and our flag in the city.”

“AllianceTexas remains a constant powerhouse and sets the standard in our region and nationally for providing companies with innovative resources and opportunities for growth while also creating an environment that offers an array of outstanding housing options and lifestyle amenities,” Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said in a statement. 

See the full AllianceTexas Annual Economic Impact Report here.

Disclosure: Hillwood is a sponsor of the Fort Worth Report. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org.