FORT MEADE, Fla. — A proposed data center brought a packed crowd to Fort Meade City Hall Tuesday night, as residents filled the commission chamber to voice concerns about how the project could impact the city’s future.
The project would involve building a 1.2-gigawatt data center campus on a property north of downtown along U.S. Highway 98. Developers describe the facility as a large, “hyperscale” operation designed to support modern computing needs. However, the size has raised concerns among residents.
WATCH: Fort Meade commissioners hear more public concerns over proposed data center
The project has sparked strong opinions, particularly around water use in an area where future supply remains a concern.
During the public comment portion of the Tuesday meeting, speaker after speaker cautioned against the development.
Raul Alfonso, who lives in Fort Meade, said water is already a precious resource in the community.
“It is worth more than gold,” Alfonso said.
While he said residents aren’t opposed to growth, he emphasized the need for responsible development and transparency.
Other residents echoed those concerns and questioned whether sufficient independent environmental review had been conducted before a vote was taken.
“Water usage is a concern,” said Heather Grant. “We need to do an independent environmental impact study on our own.”
Ben Speight, neither for or against the project, also urged the city to hire impartial experts to verify claims from both the public and the developer.
“The money sounds terrific,” Speight said. “But the damage, if it’s true, could hurt a lot of things.”
Developers behind the project say those fears are misplaced. Stonebridge, the company proposing the facility, says the data center would operate using a closed-loop cooling system and require approximately 50,000 gallons of water per day.
Project leaders argue that the amount is relatively modest. They say the design minimizes water consumption while allowing the facility to meet modern computing demands.
“What we’re talking about doing is what’s called a closed loop system,” said Douglas Firstenberg with Stonebridge in a recent interview with Polk Government Television. “We’re not a big water consumer with the type of design that we’re talking about doing here.”
Firstenberg said the project would take about six years to build, creating hundreds of construction jobs, followed by roughly 50 permanent jobs initially and up to 450 when the campus is fully built out. He also said Stonebridge plans to partner with local high schools and colleges to train residents for jobs.
Supporters point to economic benefits, including long-term tax revenue for the city, county, and school district. Polk County Commissioner Bill Braswell called the jobs associated with the project exactly what local leaders are trying to attract.
“It’s some very high-skill, high-wage jobs,” Braswell said in the Polk Government Television interview. “That’s what we’re always after.”
Fort Meade commissioners are required to vote on the proposal, with that decision expected next month.
Until then, residents say they plan to stay engaged as the debate over growth, water, and the city’s future continues.
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