FORT MEADE, Fla. — Community members gathered Thursday night at an intersection next to Fort Meade City Hall to protest a proposed 1.2-gigawatt data center.
They held signs and urged city leaders to carefully consider the project’s impact. Some drivers honked in support, while others pulled over to join. A few even traveled from as far as Lithia to stand in solidarity.
Ron Martin, who has lived in the town since he was five, said the proposed project is the wrong direction for the community.
“We don’t want this data center. The transparency that they’ve given us is not enough,” Martin said. “I think they’re going to take us for all we’re worth and see how far they can go with it.”
Heather Grant, another Fort Meade homeowner, voiced similar concerns, particularly around water use in an area with ongoing long-term supply concerns.
“It’s a big worry, and it’s going to affect the whole area or has the potential to,” she said.
The proposal calls for a “hyperscale” data center campus north of downtown along Highway 98, with up to eight large buildings built over several years to support high-powered computing. According to the city, the plant could use roughly 50,000 gallons of water per day.
Stonebridge, the company proposing the project, said the facility’s closed-loop design minimizes water usage and would not strain local resources.
“We’re not a big water consumer with the type of design that we’re talking about doing here,” said Douglas Firstenberg of Stonebridge in a recent interview with Polk Government TV.
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 TV interview. “That’s what we’re always after.”
Despite those assurances, opponents point to inconsistencies in early water estimates and other project details. Furthermore, Martin said the financial incentives do not outweigh the potential headaches and risks.
“The money is great, but what comes with that money is a lot of headaches,” he said. “I’m willing to pay more taxes if that will keep this data center from opening.”
Fort Meade commissioners are required to vote on the proposal, with that decision expected next month.
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