The National Security Agency (NSA) is buying the facility that it has leased for more than 20 years near Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.
The reportedly $500 million deal to buy the 100-acre campus located off Potranco Road in San Antonio from COPT Defense Properties would shift one of Bexar County’s largest private offices to federal ownership.
The former Sony chip plant turned cybersecurity and surveillance hub has 953,000 square feet of facilities, including offices, a data center, warehouse space and a visitor control center. More than 3,000 people work at the complex.
The purchase has reportedly been in the works for several years and is expected to be final later this month.
The sale will affect Bexar County’s tax rolls by removing parcels valued by Bexar Central Appraisal District at a combined $185 million, wiping out $4.2 million in potential annual property tax revenue for the county’s operating budget.
The spy agency paid $63 million this year, about $65.65 per square foot, to lease the complex.
NSA Texas, also known as the Texas Cryptologic Center, is one of four centers operated by the NSA. The other centers are already on federally owned property.
Photo by Mariya Eskina from Pexels
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