Hooks residents cry foul over land sale for data center
Residents in Hooks, Texas, are protesting an alleged improper land sale by the Hooks City Council to Datahub Developers LLC for a data center. Despite claims of illegality and lack of transparency, the City Council has decided not to unwind the transaction. The council instead voted to add two of its members to the Hooks Special Industrial Development Corp., the entity that arranged the sale.
The Hooks City Council in Texas has decided not to reverse an earlier 2020 land sale of a 581-acre tract, despite residents' protests that the transaction was improper and lacked formal approval. The land, jointly owned by Hooks, New Boston, and Bowie County, was sold for $12 million to Georgia-based Datahub Developers LLC, which reportedly intends to build a data center on the site. Residents, including Justin Cook and Catey Lindsey, voiced concerns about the sale's legality and transparency, with some alleging no formal council approval record exists. Resident Cara Craig also reported an unfulfilled Freedom of Information Act request for sale documents.
In response to the controversy, the council voted to add two of its members, Eddie Estell and Gunner Davis, to the Hooks Special Industrial Development Corp., which facilitated the original sale, to enhance oversight. Hooks City Attorney Colton Langford cautioned against rescinding the sale, citing potential litigation costs in the millions from the buyers and co-sellers. Richard Shane Jackson, identified as the chief executive of Datahub Developers, is also said to hold an option on 156 adjacent acres.
The dispute is part of a larger trend of industrial development in rural areas along the Interstate 30 corridor in Bowie County. Separately, Black Mountain Power and its affiliate Fort Worth Power Core are planning a 446-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant north of I-30, having purchased approximately 600 acres. Additionally, TexAmericas Center, a regional redevelopment authority, is progressing with Project Big Pine, a 500-acre industrial development aimed at large-scale data center and AI infrastructure, projected to attract $3.5 billion in investment. TexAmericas Center is also marketing other industrial parcels with existing infrastructure and zoning suitable for heavy-load users, though no specific data center developer has been identified for these sites.