After backlash over Project Swan, some call for data center moratorium in Lakeland
Opponents of "Project Swan," a proposed 600,000-square-foot data center in Lakeland, Florida, are advocating for a moratorium on future data center development. The developer recently withdrew from a review meeting after city staff raised concerns including zoning, flooding, and water usage. The proposal remains active and under review, but community members are pushing for the city to establish regulations for the industry.
Residents and political figures in Lakeland, Florida, are urging city leaders to impose a moratorium on new data center developments. This push follows significant public opposition to "Project Swan," a proposed 600,000-square-foot data center campus planned near Old Tampa Highway and Wilkinson Road.
The developer of Project Swan recently withdrew from a scheduled Development Review Team meeting after City of Lakeland staff submitted extensive comments and questions. These concerns highlighted potential issues with flooding, wastewater capacity, traffic, water use, and whether data centers are even permissible under current city zoning rules, which do not explicitly list data centers as a permitted use.
Magdalene DuPree, a Lakeland resident, expressed strong opposition, stating that the community does not want a hyperscale data center "extracting value from us and us having to be paying the cost." Sam Romain, chairman of the Polk County Republican Party, supports a moratorium, arguing that while not anti-business, the city needs to establish clear regulations for the industry to address impacts like water and electrical demand, light, and noise pollution. An online petition has also been launched advocating for a temporary moratorium.
Despite the growing community backlash, city officials confirmed that Project Swan has not been withdrawn and remains an active proposal under review. The next steps are with the developer, who can choose to respond to staff comments or withdraw the application, with no deadline currently set. No public hearing or vote has been scheduled for the project.