EDS Expanding in North Tulsa

[sgrizzle]

http://www.journalrecord.com/article.cfm?recid=82698

quote:
Tulsa County readies tax package for EDS expansion
October 16, 2007
TULSA – Tulsa County is preparing a tax incentive district to help fund a $105 million expansion of the EDS data center in Tulsa.
BNP Paribas Leasing Corp. intends to add an estimated 197,000 square feet to its 243,000-square-foot Cherokee Expressway Industrial District building in north Tulsa. This would allow for additional high-density server capacity and other operations by tenant EDS, which uses the site for a data service management center.
Documents filed with the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission said construction on the 66.9-acre site could take 12 to 18 months, with completion sought in December 2008.
The tax incentive district would exempt BNP from paying property taxes on the new addition for five years.
As required by the Local Development Act, the planning commission will consider Tulsa County Tax Incentive Finance District No. 2 during its Wednesday meeting.
Earlier this month, the Tulsa County Local Review Committee recommended approval of the district.
The commissioners hope the tax proposal reaches that panel for final approval by the end of November, said Terry Simonson, chief deputy to County Commissioner Randi Miller.
The construction project should create up to 750 jobs, with an estimated 98 percent filled by Oklahomans, according to the documents.
EDS has not projected how many jobs they expect the expansion to fuel. The Plano, Texas-based data services company reportedly employs about 1,500 among several Tulsa area offices.
Part of the EDS Global Services Network, the Cherokee facility is one of more than 100 data centers the company manages around the world.
Travelocity bookings first occupied the structure when Sabre Holdings opened it seven years ago at an estimated cost of $68 million. EDS acquired these Sabre assets in 2001, with BNP buying the building the following year.
EDS said the structure was built to withstand and continue operations during a tornado or other such disaster. It features a redundant, dual-system design of mechanical and electrical systems to ensure continuous operation.
With its more than 35 megawatts of emergency power, equivalent to powering more than 28,000 homes, and on-site fuel and water storage, EDS said the facility can maintain "lights out" operations for up to 10 days.

[Conan71]

Wait, expansion and growth?  I didn't think that was possible after last Tuesday.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

Wait, expansion and growth?  I didn't think that was possible after last Tuesday.

At least mid-america isn't getting all of the big offices.

[TheArtist]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

Wait, expansion and growth?  I didn't think that was possible after last Tuesday.

I know, I cant wait to go out and enoy myself out at the new EDS facility. Its really going to make Tulsa an exciting place to live an visit. All those long lasting, high paying  construction and call center jobs too. I wonder if the crane companies can keep up with this explosion of growth, what with all those beautifuol high rise condo towers, hotels, and office buildings that are shooting up everywhere. And gosh I can barely constrain myself trying to figure out where to go each evening, there are so many thrilling options. EDS expansion or Eastland Mall... descisions descisions.

Nobody said Tulsa was not going to grow. Its what kind of city do we want to become. How we want to grow. Do we want to be exceptional or average. With over 100 other EDS facilities I hardly call ours expanding exceptional. Certainly not a negative, but not anything unique or special at all. Hopefully we are going to get more good jobs and people in Tulsa. But whats the extent of that? Just a few here and there, or a lot?

[Conan71]

EDS is hardly a call center boiler room.  These are the kinds of jobs which can broaden the tax base which translates to quality-of-life improvement funding.

I just thought I'd take a second to stick my thumb in the eye of the "you guys blew 9,000 jobs" crowd.  Companies who were looking at Tulsa for expansion before Oct. 9 are still looking at Tulsa.

In case no one has noticed, we ARE getting a re-vamp of the trails system at RP, there IS vibrant development seven miles down-stream (oh geez, we gotta go to Jenks to have dinner on the river or suffer with the cafe at 21st).

[sgrizzle]

EDS is another Google in terms of jobs. Management, IT, etc. They don't put that kind of redundancy in a call center.