Texas Data Center Planned for Novartis

Novartis, which acquired surgical product and pharmaceutical company Alcon in 2011, announced plans in early July for a new Texas data center. The $35 million South Fort Worth data center will power Novartis' operations in both North and South America, and will be one of two global data centers within the company's service portfolio.

The Texas data center will span 10,000 square feet and will be constructed on a site near Alcon's existing campus. Groundbreaking on the new facility will take place in late July and is expected to be completed by the fall of 2015.

At the beginning of the year, the company worked with Fort Worth city officials to finalize a data center tax incentive package to foster the construction of the new facility, including a projected $30 million in property investment and $4.7 million in business personal property investment. The benefits comprise an 80 percent tax break for 10 years. The first phase of the abatement was completed by the end of 2013, therefore, the initial audit and payments will be awarded in 2015.

Alcon spokesperson Elizabeth Harness Murphy said the business elected to build their new Fort Worth data center after completing a study comparing potential locations. The study's findings, alongside the data center tax incentives, made the state a prime location for the company's new computing facility. 

"Novartis is pleased to have the city of Fort Worth become one of its two primary global data centers, dedicated to serve its operations in the Americas," Murphy said. "This move further reinforces Novartis's commitment to the community where Alcon is headquartered."

While details surrounding the project have yet to be released, Murphy said the new Texas data center will be an "industry-leading" facility that will require "highly specialized personnel for design and construction."