FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Land in western St. Lucie County could become a data center, according to a rezoning application sent to the city of Fort Pierce.
Willow Lakes LLC, the owner of 203 acres of land off West Midway Road and Interstate 95, submitted a rezoning application in June to change 174 acres to light industrial use to allow for a data center.
WATCH BELOW: New 203-acre data center proposed in St. Lucie County
The rezoning application said, "the applicant intends to develop a data center on the portion of the property to be zoned Light Industrial."
Parker Whiteside, who lives about a mile and a half from the property, said she values the quiet, open character of the area.
"You have a beautiful view all the time," Whiteside said.
When asked about the potential data center, her reaction was immediate.
"I hate that idea," Whiteside said.
The land was originally planned for the Koa Bay Surf Park Community, with developer Devcon Enterprises.
Attorney Lee Dobbins, who represents Willow Lakes LLC, said those plans fell through after the property owner could not raise sufficient capital for the project.
"He was looking at what else he could potentially do at the property," Dobbins said.
Dobbins said the landowner believes the property is well-suited for a data center, citing existing Florida Power & Light transmission lines on the site and a man-made lake that could be used for a closed-loop cooling system.
According to the rezoning application, the applicant requests the remaining 26 acres to be zoned general commercial, "intended for development for commercial retail uses, and could include a hotel, gas station and/or restaurants/fast food."
Fort Pierce City Commissioner Michael Broderick said the proposal could be an appropriate use of the land, but he has conditions.
"Data centers are kind of the rage right now," Broderick said.
Broderick said he wants developers to demonstrate there will be no impact to groundwater, no impacts to user fees from power consumption and no noise pollution.
"If they don't, then I will not be supportive of it," Broderick said.
The rezoning application said that if rezoning is approved, the applicant intends to enter into an agreement with a partner company which would develop the data center.
According to the application, "the partner company would need to submit to the City a site plan application for the proposed data center and obtain City approval of the site plan."
The application is scheduled to go before the Planning and Zoning Board on Sept. 17.
