OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, Fla. — Okeechobee County commissioners voted to effectively kill the controversial "Okee-One" data center project by dropping proposed "Special Technology Opportunity Centers" from their long-term growth plan.
The Okee-One project was a proposed data campus led by Indian River State College, planned for over 200 acres at the property formerly known as the Okeechobee School for Boys.
WATCH BELOW: Okeechobee County vote ends the controversial data center
On Thursday morning, county commissioners decided to drop an amendment that would have allowed the technology centers, effectively ending the Okee-One plan.
The project previously received a $1.5 million boost from Gov. Ron DeSantis' Rural Infrastructure Fund last year. One county commissioner said the governor’s office has now pulled support for the project.
WPTV asked the governor’s office for comment, but has not heard back.
Evan Reisfeld, who has owned and operated the Barracuda 2 restaurant in Okeechobee for the last five years, said Thursday's update from county commissioners put a smile on his face.
"We were ecstatic," Reisfeld said. "We don't like change. We like our small town communities. We enjoy the quiet."
Former County Commissioner Bryant Culpepper said he received calls from concerned residents at the beginning of conversations about the center.
"I just don't think this is the right place for it," Culpepper said.
Culpepper said the main concerns were noise and possible well-water pollution, which is a potential death sentence in cattle country.
"That was a major concern," Culpepper said.
"We don't want to worry about water consumption. We don't want to worry about pollution," Reisfeld said. "They don't need any more. We're good. As far as I'm concerned. That's just my opinion."
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