Economic Development Board recommends Chapter 380 package for EquipmentShare distribution center

The Economic Development Partnership Board voted to forward a Chapter 380 incentive recommendation to the City Council for EquipmentShare’s proposed 402,000-square-foot distribution center on the northern Baker site. Staff said the proposal would bring about $250 million in capital investment and an estimated 136 jobs.

Clay Parker, the city’s business recruitment specialist, described the package: “The proposal is to do an ad valorem rebate at 50% for 5 years… and a sales tax rebate at 50% on construction materials,” and staff listed caps of about $489,615 for business personal property, just under $211,000 for construction-materials sales tax rebates, and an $83,000 cap on the job-based grant. Staff said the total incentive cap would be $783,553 and that the city’s 10-year net benefit after incentives is estimated at roughly $11.3 million.

Staff explained qualification and performance conditions: EquipmentShare must obtain a Texas Direct Pay Permit for the sales-tax rebate, receive a certificate of occupancy on completed improvements, and maintain an appraised property value above the 2026 certified valuation; the resident-hire bonus (a $500 payment per qualifying city resident, capped at 10 hires) is a bonus feature of the job grant rather than a threshold requirement.

Board members asked about timing for valuation baselines and living-wage calculations; staff said the base year valuation will be set by DCAD’s January assessment and that the city uses MIT-derived county-level living-wage figures for comparisons. An EquipmentShare representative noted the project is nationally competitive and one of several finalists in the site-selection process.

The board made a motion to approve staff’s recommendation and the motion carried. Staff said the item will go to City Council for individual consideration on Aug. 4.