Mayor Short responds to data center, mall concerns

WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — October is a big month for the City of Wichita Falls and many changes have citizens concerned.

Mayor Tim Short wanted to put the rumors to rest and ease residents’ minds as big projects move forward in Wichita Falls.

New data center approved

On Thursday, September 18, city leaders authorized the sale of more than 225 acres at the Wichita Falls Business Park to Texas Data Center Campus, LLC at a large profit.

“Well, $65,000 an acre. Largest land sale per acre in the history of Wichita Falls,” Mayor Short said. “So, no tax breaks, no abatements, no promises, no anything. They want to be here.”

The first phase of the data center is expected to be roughly one million square feet, with the final project being as large as six million square feet, the size of the Pentagon.

In addition to the profit from the sale of the land, the construction of the project will be huge for the local workforce.

“There will be 4 to 5,000 skilled labor jobs here in Wichita Falls. Plumbers, electricians, framers, engineers, all of those. They have to build these places,” Mayor Short said. “They like to use as much local as they can. That’s a bonus.”

Once the construction is finished, between 150 and 300 permanent jobs will be available.

Short said that this center is the first of at least three, with the possibility of more, each one being at $10 to $15 billion in investment that is directly reflected in the community.

Concerns

Many citizens expressed concerns on social media and in recent City Council meetings.

One concern was about people and livestock falling ill, a claim Short said is unfounded.

“Be careful what you Google because you might find it,” Short said. “These data centers…they’re so much more efficient now. I say we have land, water and electricity. We have the things that they want. People are concerned, and rightly so, about some of the things that they read and some of the things that they see.”

What will this do to our already limited water supply?

Short added that the data center will be water-cooled on a closed-loop system similar to a vehicle. The same water is recycled repeatedly, and while it might have to be topped off, a constant stream of fresh water is not needed.

Won’t this make our electricity rates skyrocket?

“In Texas, we have electric provider choice every year, every two years, whenever your contract is up as a resident, you can shop your electric rates around, and we all do,” Short said. “The load that they use doesn’t affect the residents. If you don’t like your rate at the end of your contract, shop it around and find another provider.”

What about the noise?

The noise most often affiliated with data centers is not actually from data centers, but bitcoin mining operations, which are not coming to Wichita Falls, according to Short.

“And this, this is not in a residential area. This is Fisher Road out in the business park,” Short said.

The future of Sikes Senter Mall

The purchase of Sikes Senter Mall will close on October 15. Contrary to rumors, no major investors have backed out.

“That purchase will go through; the appraisal was $26 million. [It] came in, more than anybody thought that it would be. The banks are comfortable. The funding is done,” Short said. “We’ll be able to announce who our master developer is very shortly after the closing, but none of that has changed.”

Mayor Short praised the teams that have been working on these projects

“We literally have more than we can say grace over right now,” Short said. “Now we’re looking forward to working with these folks and building up the quality of life here in Wichita Falls.”