Permit Reveals Some Details of Proposed 2 Million-Square-Foot Brookwood Data Center
Public documents reveal that Applied Digital Corporation is developing a two-million-square-foot data center in Brookwood, Alabama, on approximately 137 acres of land. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management has approved a stormwater permit for the project, which will drain into Hurricane Creek. The proposal is now heading to the Brookwood Planning and Zoning Commission for a rezoning request on August 11, amidst ongoing community concerns and lack of transparency from local officials.
A two-million-square-foot data center proposed in Brookwood, Alabama, is identified as a project by Applied Digital Corporation, a Dallas-based developer of AI data centers, according to public documents. The project will be built on approximately 137 acres of the 1,300 acres the company owns around Brookwood Parkway in Tuscaloosa County.
The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) approved a construction stormwater permit for the project on July 20, with construction anticipated to begin soon and finish by the end of 2028. The permit details that construction runoff will drain into Hurricane Creek. The application, filed under a generic name, explicitly mentions "Brookwood, AL Data Center" in its engineering appendices, marking the first public confirmation of the developer and the project's scope, which had been a source of speculation and frustration for residents.
Brookwood Mayor Joe Barger has publicly advocated for such industrial projects, citing potential jobs and tax revenues for the city, but has largely avoided direct questions about this specific data center due to non-disclosure agreements. He addressed resident concerns about water usage, power, noise, and the proximity to Brookwood Middle School, which he indicated may need to be relocated. Despite claims of transparency through mailed notices and posted signs, residents and environmental groups, including Hurricane Creekkeeper John Wathen, have criticized the lack of open consultation.
The project now moves to the Brookwood Planning and Zoning Commission, which is scheduled to consider a rezoning request on August 11. Neither Applied Digital nor Mayor Barger provided comments for the report.