Fort Bliss hosting community meeting on potential data center on base

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The community has a chance to give feedback and speak on a data center that may be built on Fort Bliss property.

The meeting was an open forum for people to ask questions and get information on where the project is at.

Before the meeting, Army officials spoke with media about the meeting and where they're at with the project.

Deputy Undersecretary of the Army, David Fitzgerald, said there's no official contract set in stone yet and they are very early in the development stages. They wanted to come early to talk with the community to see where they are at as well.

"We want to get these engagements early," said Fitzgerald. "It's important to us that we go about this in a way that is to the benefit of not just the installation, but the community as well. So we just wanted to come down here and engage with relevant stakeholders, have the community kind of come in and explain what this is, what this is not yet."

Fitzgerald said that the Army doesn't want this to be a project against the community and wishes to work with them.

"There are all these elements that will make this an "us versus them" sort of construct. But I don't think we view it that way from the Army. We have 36,000 soldiers that live in Fort Bliss, tens of thousands of family members, our kids go to the same schools they live in the same communities." 

The biggest concern from residents at the meeting was that they didn't think the Army could properly allocate resources with a center this big.

"There's not an infinite amount of water. When our drinking water is gone, it's gone. So they're promising jobs, fine. They're promising jobs. What are you going to do when you have income and no drinking water?" said Lilian Mares.

The Army and Fort Bliss don't have a finalized deal with Carlyle, the contractor that would be operating the center. Fitzgerald said they're still figuring out how utilities and water would work but are committed to not putting the burden on taxpayers. They hope construction on the project can start soon with an initial opening date near the end of 2027.