Palm Beach County data center project faces local opposition, revised plans await July vote

Project Tango, a proposed data center and warehouse complex spanning 200 acres in northern Palm Beach County, Florida, is facing considerable pushback from local residents. The project, which involves a multibillion-dollar investment, recently had a county vote postponed, allowing more time to address community concerns. Residents of the nearby Arden community, in particular, have voiced worries about potential environmental, health, and safety impacts, including noise pollution, water consumption, and the project's proximity to homes and an elementary school. Ernie Cox, Project Tango's project manager, explained that plans have been significantly revised in response to public outcry. The proposed data information and processing buildings have been reduced in size to just over 1 million square feet (from a previously proposed 1.8 million square feet) and moved farther west on the site. To mitigate environmental concerns, Cox stated the project would use a closed-loop cooling system to conserve water and implement internal equipment housing and sound assessments to minimize noise, aiming for 50 decibels, well below the county's 75-decibel industrial limit. The project has a long history, initially approved as the Central Park Commerce Center about a decade ago for light industrial uses and warehouses. While it secured approvals for data and information processing space in 2022, a subsequent proposal to significantly expand data center square footage proved unpopular. Concerned homeowner Ben Brown, secretary for the Arden Homeowners Association Board, criticized the project's scale and location, arguing it does not belong next to a community and could negatively affect quality of life and property values. Palm Beach County Commissioners were initially scheduled to vote on Project Tango in December, but the decision was postponed to April, and then again to July, at the request of Project Tango's agent Joseph Verdone to allow for revisions. County officials have acknowledged the project's general compatibility with surrounding industrial uses but have stipulated conditions for addressing impacts. Commissioner Maria Sachs plans to visit the Arden community and the proposed site before the July vote to gather all facts, emphasizing the serious environmental and community effects to be considered.