The University of Dallas is partnering with a developer in hopes of making an addition to its Irving campus.
The school is working with KDC, a commercial real estate developer with a history of building office campuses in Irving, such as the new Wells Fargo Regional Hub, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
However, the University of Dallas has something different in mind for more than 67 acres across from its main campus along State Highway 114: The university is collaborating with KDC to develop a data center.
A zoning application obtained by The Dallas Morning News shows that both parties are advocating for the land to be rezoned to accommodate their campus plans.
In their application, KDC argued that zoned office space use is no longer in high demand due to the lockdowns caused by the pandemic.
“The recently adopted ‘work from home’ lifestyle has rendered most office buildings sparsely occupied and their future uncertain,” per the application, as reported by DMN. “Given the unachievable zoning demands, the University Property cannot be developed without being re-zoned.”
The data center would include low-built structures that would not disrupt the feel of the nearby Cistercian Preparatory School and Our Lady of Dallas Cistercian Abbey. Additionally, the university and KDC claim that the data center would create a more economically feasible situation with more jobs and little impact on traffic in the area, reported DMN.
The bulk of the acreage is located on the northeast corner of State Highway 114 and Braniff Drive, with 21 acres in the northwest corner. The proposed data center would be 770,000 square feet and generate an estimated $8.2 million in property and business personal property taxes for Irving annually.
According to the Irving City Council’s agenda, the proposed project will be presented to council members on July 11.
Data centers continue to be planted around the metroplex, including Skybox Datacenters LLC’s 1-million-square-foot data center campus, which broke ground in June in Lancaster, DX previously reported.
Edged Energy also proposed a data center in Irving, which is slated to be completed later this year. The facility will include energy-efficient technology and operate as a carbon-neutral facility.
Another prominent data center, QTS Realty Trust, continues to expand its reach in the DFW area, seeking to add its fourth facility at the company’s Irving campus, DX previously reported.