The Rivian R1T electric pickup truck, the company's first consumer product, will go on sale in September. Photo courtesy of Rivian.

Aug. 31, 2021

Covering an expanse of North Texas prairie with another sprawling manufacturing facility may not be everyone’s idea of a green enterprise.

Such an operation is under consideration for Fort Worth’s west side. But what distinguishes it are its products — zero-emissions vehicles — along with the company’s stated goal of net-zero carbon output and preserving a sizeable swath of the property — the former Walsh ranch — in its natural state.

California-based Rivian Automotive is preparing to launch a battery-electric pickup truck in September and an SUV in 2022 and is already contracted to build tens of thousands of electric delivery vans for Amazon. To meet those deadlines, the 12-year-old company is considering building a giant assembly plant on Fort Worth’s far west side.

The green news is that in addition to ramping up EV production, the facility would incorporate sustainability features and possibly partner with the recently established Fort Worth Open Space Conservation Program to help meet those sustainability objectives. 

Other U.S. metro areas also are competing for the plant, but several media outlets have reported that Fort Worth is now the leading contender. Both Rivian and city officials are keeping a tight lid on specifics while they work toward a possible deal.

On Aug. 17, Fort Worth City Council approved a $440 million tax-incentive package for Rivian to build the $5 billion factory on 2,000 acres of the Walsh Ranch development within Fort Worth’s extraterritorial jurisdiction around the Tarrant/Parker County line. Fort Worth would annex the area once utilities and other infrastructure are in place. 

It would be Rivian’s second assembly point, the first being in Normal, Ill., and would include battery manufacturing and product development in addition to vehicle production.

Rivian SUVA Rivian electric SUV called the R1S will debut sometime in 2022. In addition to vehicle assembly, the company would produce EV batteries and host product development at the Fort Worth plant. Photo courtesy of Rivian.

In an Aug. 10 presentation to a city council work group, Robert Sturns, director of Fort Worth’s Economic Development Department, told council members that Rivian is interested in more than simply pumping out new trucks and SUVs. 

“Sustainability has been a key part of this project, and there are some commitments that they were really interested in as it relates to the Open Space Conservation Program,” Sturns said. “And so, the potential that we’re talking about is up to around 300 acres of land that could be preserved for the Open Space Program.”

Jarid Manos, the founder of Great Plains Restoration Council, which is working to establish a mostly contiguous stretch of undeveloped remnant prairie called Fort Worth Prairie Park on the city’s southwest side, believes the Rivian prospect presents an opportunity for the city to transcend business as usual.

“Sustainability has been a key part of this project, and there are some commitments that they were really interested in as it relates to the Open Space Conservation Program,” Sturns said. “And so, the potential that we’re talking about is up to around 300 acres of land that could be preserved for the Open Space Program.” 

“The Fort Worth Prairie is one of the most endangered ecosystems in North America. If Rivian strategically preserves a large, ecologically vital tract — and we hope they use all their forward-thinking creativity and ingenuity to increase the preserved area to 500 acres from 300 — it could save some of the wild, 10,000-year-old grassland that would otherwise be lost to other development,” Manos said. “This would then serve as a critical western anchor for the Fort Worth Prairie Park, which needs to grow to several thousand acres before our remaining wild prairie is lost.” 

Proposed location of Rivian plant at former Walsh ranch.Walsh Ranch, a development straddling western Tarrant and eastern Parker counties, would be home to the Rivian plant. During negotiations, Rivian and the City of Fort Worth are focusing on sustainability issues. Image courtesy of the City of Fort Worth.

Exactly how and which part of the land might be set aside are among details that neither the city nor Rivian are willing to disclose at this point. 

“Unfortunately, at this time we're not able to go into much detail beyond the information included in the Council presentation…since negotiations with the company are still ongoing,” Andrea Duffie, a communications specialist with the Fort Worth Economic Development Department, said in an emailed statement.

Rivian was similarly poker-faced when Green Source DFW requested details about its sustainability goals for the plant, including the company’s aspiration to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. 

“Rivian is in discussions with multiple locations as part of a competitive process for siting a second manufacturing facility,” Jim Chen, Rivian’s vice president of Public Policy, said in a statement. “This may include Rivian being involved in certain public-facing processes at potential locations. Involvement in these processes does not indicate a final decision.”

Sturns characterized the Rivian undertaking, which would include up to 12 million square feet of vertical space and employ at least 7,500 workers, as “one of the largest projects in the city’s history,” and added that the operation is expected to be up and running sometime around March 2023. 

“The Fort Worth Prairie is one of the most endangered ecosystems in North America. If Rivian strategically preserves a large, ecologically vital tract — and we hope they use all their forward-thinking creativity and ingenuity to increase the preserved area to 500 acres from 300 — it could save some of the wild, 10,000-year-old grassland that would otherwise be lost to other development,” Manos said. “This would then serve as a critical western anchor for the Fort Worth Prairie Park, which needs to grow to several thousand acres before our remaining wild prairie is lost.” 

Jarid Manos, meanwhile, envisions a sort of quid pro quo between nature and industry if Rivian and the city approach the project with environmental sensitivity. 

“The prairie…will take care of Rivian’s and Fort Worth's economic and sustainability needs, our community health and well-being, wildlife, our atmosphere, and provide clean water for the Upper Trinity River watershed,” Manos said. “Just on climate alone, preserving native prairie absorbs and stores carbon in the soil for thousands of years and, like preserving forests and mangroves elsewhere, is the lowest hanging fruit on the way to offsets and net-zero emissions.” 

On Friday, Aug. 27, Rivian filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering. A final decision from the company on where it will locate the plant is expected “soon,” according to Sturns.

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