Fort Worth has been attempting to attract the electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian to place their next factory right here in Texas.
Rivian is a new electric car manufacturer that is known for its all-electric trucks, SUVs, and delivery trucks.
The Fort Worth location would be named Walsh Ranch, named after the property-owning Walsh family.
A spokesperson for the Walsh family said, “All we know is that Fort Worth and the Walsh ranch site was identified as a finalist. As far as I know, a final decision has not been made.”
Another contender, the city of Covington in Georgia, has also been in “late-stage discussions” with Rivian. The city of Fort Worth has already offered up to $440 million in “company grants and tax abatement” for Rivian.
Fort Worth and Georgia both have been trying to outbid each other for the factory and with good reason. Rivian stock value increased by 78% shortly after its debut on the NASDAQ and is on track to becoming an influential player in the automobile industry.
Rivian has also been backed by Amazon, which has ordered 100,000 Rivian electric delivery trucks, according to company officials.
If approved, the Walsh-Ranch location would be a massive undertaking with a proposed 12-million square feet of construction for the factory. The Rivian plant would be separate from the residential zones and schools already planned for the decade-long Walsh development.
Fort Worth city officials said if approved, Rivian’s Walsh Ranch would be “one of the largest economic developments in Texas history.” City documents also show that Rivian’s plant could create a projected 7,500 jobs in automobile and battery production.
The endgame for the Walsh site is approaching, with the Atlanta Journal stating that Rivian is considering the Georgia site seriously, however, Rivian is yet to make a final decision on which site they choose.
Fort Worth economic development director Robert Sturns stated, “Fort Worth remains focused on putting forward the most competitive package as possible, and we are confident that we have worked with our local partners to do exactly that.”
