Hyperscale Data Center: Florida's First

0:00Fort Mead City commissioners just gave the green light to a massive data center project. Florida's first hyperscale one, right west of US. 98. This $2.6 billion beast would cover 1,300 acres of old phosphate mine land and span 4.4 million. Square feet. Developers promise up to 500 jobs by 2031 plus infrastructure upgrades for the community. The deal includes community benefits and ties into $140 million in tax incentives from Polk County over 10 years. Supporters from groups like the Central Florida Development Council see it as a big economic win, bringing long-term growth to the area. But residents are fired up and packing meetings over 40 spoke out, almost all against it. They worry about noise, lights, huge water use, health risks, heat, and more traffic. Many fell blindsided, thinking they had more time since a prior administration set this in motion. On water, developers cut projections from 150,000 gallons a day to 50,000 using a closed-loop system.

1:05Still, agencies like the Southwest Florida Water Management District need to sign off separately. Power would come from duke energy, shifting from what locals use now, and the project needs permits from the city, wildlife commission, county, and... More before any shovels hit dirt, leaving room for pushback to keep rolling. This has been Tampa Bay News today, powered by AI. I'm Corey, with the story.