Google Scraps Plans for Data Storage North of Fort Worth

Google’s about-face on 1 million square feet in North Texas signals a rare shift in the company’s growing data-center network.

The Silicon Valley-based tech giant pulled out of its lease in the Northlake 35 Logistics Park at 4250 Dale Earnhardt Boulevard in Northlake, a property it had planned to use for data and cloud center operations, the Dallas Business Journal reported.

Despite spending over $20 million outfitting the facility — an effort dubbed “Project Beast” — Google ultimately decided not to move in, leaving the structure vacant and available for other potential tenants. Nathan Lawrence, a broker at KBC Advisors, confirmed the building’s availability, noting that it is a significant space for any prospective tenant.

The vacancy adds to a significant pool of available million-square-foot spaces in North Texas, a trend that reflects growing availability in the region’s booming industrial market.

Google’s exit of the facility, built by Falcon Commercial Development and Clarion Partners, comes as the company expands its data infrastructure across Texas.

Google’s Texas-based portfolio includes data centers in Midlothian and Red Oak, as well as a 1.1-million-square-foot facility at Majestic Realty’s Silver Creek Business Park in Fort Worth. These facilities are part of Google’s broader plan to invest $1 billion in Texas to support its cloud and data center infrastructure.

The Northlake and Fort Worth facilities are similar in terms of operational capacity, making it easier for Google to transition to the new Fort Worth location, said Cody Gibbs, director of market analytics at CoStar.

Considering the Trump administration’s push for more Texas-based data centers and AI infrastructure, it’s a mystery why Google chose not to use an already built out space. Nevertheless, there are still other data center projects underway in DFW.

Prime Data Centers is investing $3 billion to build facilities in southwest Fort Worth and Garland, while QTS Data Centers is embarking on a $220 million project in North Fort Worth.

Core Scientific is getting in on the action by converting its Bitcoin mining site in Denton into a $4 billion data center. DataBank, meanwhile, is developing a $256 million facility in Red Oak, part of a larger campus south of Dallas.

— Andrew Terrell