The University of Dallas, a private Catholic university, is partnering with KDC to develop a much-anticipated data center campus, as data center demand continues to increase with the growth of big data and artificial intelligence. [Photo: JHVEPhoto/istock]

Dallas-based developer KDC and the University of Dallas (UD) have received approval from the Irving City Council on a rezoning application that paves the way for the development of state-of-the-art data centers near the university’s main campus, the companies announced Thursday.

The approved rezoning application allows KDC and UD to partner in the development of a data center campus, responding to the increasing demand driven by the growing use of big data and artificial intelligence.

KDC CEO Steve Van Amburgh said the real estate development and investment firm has developed more than a dozen significant data center projects over its 35-year company history. “We are thrilled to partner with the University of Dallas to transform their site into a world-class data center campus,” Van Amburgh said in a statement. 

Strategic site advantages

The site, located north of State Highway 114 at Braniff Drive, is positioned at what KDC calls “the mobility crossroads of Dallas-Fort Worth,” with direct access to multiple major highways, DFW Airport, and Love Field.

Eric Hage, KDC executive vice president, highlighted the site’s strategic advantages, noting that Oncor has confirmed that surrounding transmission lines were recently upgraded to offer data center users hyper-scale level power capacity.

“Those factors, combined with extensive access to fiber, make for a unique and exceptional data center campus,” Hage said.

University of Dallas President Jonathan J. Stanford said the university is proud of its association with KDC, given the company’s extensive experience in the City of Irving, and its national portfolio of data centers. “It is heartening to witness the mutual trust amongst the University, KDC, and the City,” Stanford said in a statement.

KDC said the project is currently in the design phase, with Corgan leading the design team. Key members include Telios as MEP engineer and Kimley-Horn as civil engineer. The completion date is anticipated for early 2027.

As noted, KDC already has a significant presence in Irving, having developed 4.8 million square feet of commercial projects in the city. To date, the company has developed 154 corporate build-to-suit office and industrial projects across the country, totaling more than 37 million square feet. The company’s portfolio includes projects for notable clients such as FedEx, J.P. Morgan Chase, Liberty Mutual, Raytheon, State Farm, Toyota North America, and Volkswagen.

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