The Taylor Economic Development Corporation, Texas, sold 87 acres to data center developer Blueprint in 2025 for $10 million. The land was donated in 1999 for use as a public park. The Bland family granted the 87 acres to the Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation on July 7, 1999, for $10. The deed required the property be used as parkland.
The City of Taylor acquired the land in 2003 and sold it to the Taylor Economic Development Corporation in 2008 for $15,000. The Taylor Economic Development Corporation sold it to Blueprint in 2025.
Resident Pamela Griffin and four relatives filed a lawsuit citing the 1999 deed restriction. “We gotta get this park back for this community,” Griffin said. A judge dismissed the case and denied an injunction to halt construction.
Taylor Executive Director of Community Services Daniel Seguin said the property’s Employment Center zoning allowed the data center without city approval. The city projects $30 million in tax revenue over ten years.
Texas Data Center Project Sparks Debate Over Land Rights, Local Government and Community Impact
The dispute drew sharp reactions online, with many responses focusing on trust in local government, property rights and the long-term impact of large data center developments on small communities.
One response read, “It’s amazing how often ‘great for the future’ ends up meaning ‘terrible for the people who already live there.’” Another added, “Not everyone. All the politicians who enable this were compensated handsomely.”
Several comments focused on the value of the land sale itself and the broader question of political accountability. One user wrote, “You’d be surprised at how little money it takes to buy a politician,” while another stated, “‘future’ almost always means future shareholders, not future residents.”
Other reactions centered on the original deed restrictions tied to the property. “The family aught to sue,” one comment read. “Most times these deals come with stipulations that the land only be used as a park or ownership reverts back to the family.”
Some responses questioned whether legal protections tied to donated land can realistically survive future political decisions. One user wrote, “Listen to this person ‘legally impossible’. Don’t you know if you ignore the legality of it, anything is still possible.” Another added, “In Texas, it doesn’t matter if it’s donated with provisos or not. Once a city owns the property, they can do whatever they want with it.”
Several commenters also argued the project reflected broader concerns about data center expansion in rural communities. One post stated, “Alot of people think that a datacenter is just a warehouse full of computers and since there’s no smoke stack spewing black smoke they don’t see the damage they cause.” Another wrote, “Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t understand that a datacenter doesn’t really require a workforce.”
The lawsuit remains under appeal as construction activity tied to the Blueprint project continues.
