Fort Worth city officials have approved a $440 million package of tax incentives for electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian Automotive, saying the company’s proposal to build a $5 billion factory in the Walsh development would forever change the landscape of the once-rural western side of the city.
In return, Rivian would create 7,500 jobs by 2027, which would make it one of the largest employers in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. The California company is looking at several cities for its proposed manufacturing plant, although Fort Worth is considered a front-runner.The project would be built on 2,000 acres of undeveloped land on the south side of Interstate 20, just east of the Interstate 20/I-30 split near Aledo. It would be part of the master-planned Walsh community, an area city officials say will eventually be home to 50,000 residents — although the car factory would be about a mile south of those homes.
Supporters of Rivian’s proposal compare it to the arrival of General Motors’ assembly plant in Arlington in 1954. That project ushered in a new era for Arlington — a much sleepier suburb at the time — and paved the way for other neighboring projects such as Six Flags Over Texas in 1961 and the Texas Rangers baseball club in 1972.
“With an anchor tenant like Rivian that is technology-focused, forward-thinking and really building for the future, you’re going to attract like-minded businesses and offices that want to have corporate campuses near a hub of technology,” Greg Miller, a spokesman for the Walsh Companies, said in a phone interview after the City Council vote - link - Gordon Dickson - link - more like this - link
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