Data Center Feasibility Study in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metro Area

Dallas-Fort Worth: second nationally for data center loans

Over FY2017 to FY2026, SBA approved 45 data center loans in Dallas-Fort Worth, worth $23.4 million in all. Dallas-Fort Worth is 2 of 169 among metropolitan and micropolitan areas for data center, and data center is 19 of 39 there. Dallas-Fort Worth leans hard on data center: the location quotient of 1.89x dwarfs a national-level share. Dallas County, TX leads the county detail. Project counties: Dallas County, TX (22), Collin County, TX (10), and Tarrant County, TX (6).

$200,000 is the median in Dallas-Fort Worth, and the middle half sits between $85,000 and $350,000. Against the national class median, Dallas-Fort Worth stands at 0.97x, almost level. That scale suggests small facilities and modest colocation space. 45 of the Dallas-Fort Worth loans are 7(a), and 0 are 504. Brand affiliation shows on 0.00% of the loans in Dallas-Fort Worth.

One institution holds the file

Newtek Bank, National Association is the only name listed. The 7(a) names are $2.7 million across 11 loans at Newtek Bank, National Association. Holder counts for Dallas-Fort Worth come from SBA bookkeeping, so read them as holdings.

SBA holds back the cancellation figures for Dallas-Fort Worth, making no claim on losses. By year: FY2023, 5 loans and $532,000, FY2024, 10 loans and $4.4 million, FY2025, 8 loans and $2.3 million, and FY2026, 10 loans and $1.5 million. Dallas-Fort Worth years not shown stay suppressed. Space leased to colocation tenants cannot be told apart from hosting services, and the code also takes in data processing firms, so the class runs broader than its name. Which loans belong to Dallas-Fort Worth depends on county names, so tallies may fall short.

Questions for a Dallas-Fort Worth data center study

The test is tenancy: who will pay for the space, on what terms and for how long. Pre-leased capacity is the strongest evidence, and the study should show contract length, renewal and the effect of the anchor tenant leaving. Power and cooling dominate operating cost and need a written utility commitment, with redundancy and fiber routes confirmed. Long-lead electrical equipment controls the build schedule, which delays revenue and lengthens interest carry. Debt service must hold through the months before capacity is leased. For the lender, the building is highly specialized: valuation should separate shell, power and fit-out, and say who else could use the facility if the tenant fails. Security and compliance certifications that tenants require should be priced in the budget, along with the cost of keeping them current.