Bryan City Council approves tax abatement for RELLIS Campus data center owner

The Bryan City Council unanimously approved a tax abatement agreement with the new owner of a data center building located on the RELLIS campus. The decision, made at a special meeting on June 26, followed an earlier agreement with the original owner who faced financial difficulties, prompting this "replacement" deal. Councilman James Edge noted that the data center, nearing completion after two years of construction, is not a "massive" facility but will purchase power from Bryan Texas Utilities (BTU).

The agreement outlines an estimated cost of improvements and tangible personal property of at least $298 million for the data center, which will span 230,000 square feet, include offices and classrooms, and eventually employ 100 people with an annual payroll exceeding $7 million. Over a ten-year period, the tax abatement is projected to save the owner $13 million in city property taxes. In return, the city expects to receive $23 million in new revenue, with over $1 million specifically earmarked for quality of life programs. BTU declined to disclose specific usage projections, citing customer privacy, but confirmed its readiness to meet the RELLIS campus's growing power demands.