Two economic development agreements that could bring $180 million in investment and 335 new jobs to Fort Worth were discussed by City Council members Tuesday. 

One company, Americold, already has four cold storage locations in Fort Worth and three other sites in North Texas. 

Americold, based in Atlanta, is proposing to expand its current facility at 4900 Blue Mound Road, near Fort Worth’s Meacham International Airport, with an investment of $123 million. The current 88,653-square-foot building sits on 22 acres. Only 7 acres of that land are developed, so there is room for expansion. 

The expansion would add at least 85 full-time jobs by the end of 2025 with a minimum average salary of $65,000. The company is requesting a seven-year tax abatement of up to 50% of incremental real property improvements and business personal property taxes. As part of the tax abatement, the company would spend 15% of construction costs with minority- and women-owned business firms. 

Cold storage warehousing involves storing perishable goods such as food, medicine or specialized products. According to a city economic development report, Fort Worth is underserved with cold storage facilities that are currently at 99% capacity. 

The second economic development agreement under consideration is with Embraer S.A., a Brazilian aerospace company. Embraer is the third largest producer of civil aircraft after The Boeing Co. and Airbus. Its subsidiary, Embraer Aircraft Maintenance Services, is based in Nashville. It is proposing to invest $57 million in Fort Worth and bring in 250 full-time jobs. 

The aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul site would be on 16 acres located next to Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport on Eagle Parkway and developed in partnership with Hillwood. 

The expected average annual salary for all jobs is $67,000. 

Both abatements are subject to the companies meeting performance requirements. City Council members are set to consider the agreements during their Oct. 15 meeting. 

Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.