Residents tell developers, 'We don't want you!'
Residents at a packed Lowndes County meeting urged Cloverleaf Infrastructure to abandon its proposed Project Red Clay data center, citing concerns about land acquisition, water use, property values and community impacts. The developer and local economic officials defended the project’s projected jobs and tax revenue while seeking a 20-year tax abatement.
Residents strongly opposed Cloverleaf Infrastructure’s proposed Project Red Clay hyperscale data center during a packed Lowndes County meeting. Speakers, including Mandy Johnson, Negatha Holt and Joyce Billingsley, said the project could displace families, consume local water, reduce property values and impose costs that outweigh its benefits.
Cloverleaf CEO David Berry said the project could create about 225 permanent jobs and thousands of construction jobs, while generating billions of dollars in tax revenue for Lowndes County and local schools. The company is seeking a 20-year abatement of half of eligible county taxes, excluding school taxes, but Berry declined to commit to delaying the request until the unnamed end user is identified. Lowndes County Economic Development Commission Chairman Thomas Ellis and consultant Jim Byard supported the project as a major opportunity for economic growth.