A controversial proposal to build a massive data center in Indiantown is back before the public with significant changes, but the developers’ new plan has not eased the concerns of many residents who fear the project will harm their community.
Representatives for “Project Silver Fox,” a 606-acre data processing center proposed by developers Panatonni and Ferreira, held an open house Monday to present the plan.
WATCH: Indiantown 'Project Silver Fox' data center plan returns with changes, resident concerns remain
The debate over the project highlights a familiar tension in growing communities: the promise of economic development versus the desire to maintain a community’s character, with a final decision by the Village Council expected to shape Indiantown's future for years to come.
The project was initially withdrawn in April. Now, developers say they have directly addressed the public’s biggest worries.
A revised 'waterless' proposal
Adam Kramer, an executive with Project Silver Fox, said the new plan includes several key commitments intended to mitigate the facility's impact.
“It’s a waterless data center,” Kramer stated, emphasizing that the project would not use Indiantown’s water resources. He also noted changes to the facility’s design and footprint. “We have commitments on how we are doing natural landscaping with retaining the trees there to kind of block the view of the data center, working on the size of the facility.”
The project is slated for land already zoned for industrial use, the former site of a power plant. According to project officials, noise levels will remain within village code, there will be no ongoing vibrations, and local water pressure will not be affected.
Economic boost or 'money grab'?
Proponents of the data center point to its potential to transform the local economy without costing taxpayers. Kramer said the project could represent a billion-dollar investment in the village.
“What the project is, is an economic opportunity for the community and creating jobs, creating tax revenue,” Kramer said.
That view is shared by Kloee Ciuperger, the CEO of the Economic Council of Indiantown.
“I think a huge part of the benefits is gonna be that tax revenue,” Ciuperger said. “That’s gonna be able to go to youth, athletics, to parks, to the water infrastructure, to the wastewater infrastructure.”
However, some residents at the open house remained skeptical of the developers' motives.
“This is a money grab, a land grab and we do not want this,” said Penny Kaminsky-Preli.
Residents remain unconvinced
Despite the proposed changes, many who attended the meeting voiced continuing concerns about the impact of a large-scale data center on their daily lives.
Penny Kaminsky-Preli, an Indiantown resident, said the facility is too close to homes and a local school.
“First of all they’re way too close to people. There’s a school within 2.2 miles from this place,” Kaminsky-Preli said. “You’re gonna subject teachers to that 5 days a week? The sound, The heat?”
Concerns about constant noise, heat generated by the facility, and the overall impact on farmland and families were the primary reasons for the continued opposition.
What happens next
The future of the Project Silver Fox site plan now rests with the Indiantown Village Council, which is expected to make a decision in the coming months, according to Kramer.
If approved, construction could begin in phases as early as 2027.
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