Lawsuit seeks to halt Palm Beach County hearing on Project Tango data center expansion
A competing landowner, WPB Logistics Owner, has filed an amended lawsuit against PBA Holdings and the Palm Beach County Commission, seeking to halt a county hearing on the Project Tango data center expansion. WPB Logistics alleges PBA held "secret" meetings with commissioners to secure approval for restrictive conditions on the property that would limit WPB's development rights. The lawsuit also contests a proposed 850-foot setback for data centers.
WPB Logistics Owner has filed an amended complaint against PBA Holdings and the Palm Beach County Commission, urging a judge to halt an upcoming County Commission hearing concerning the expansion of Project Tango, a hyperscale AI data center. The lawsuit, filed by attorneys Amy Taylor Petrick and Tara Duhy, alleges that PBA Holdings engaged in "secret" meetings and phone conversations with county commissioners to secure project approval, potentially at the expense of WPB Logistics Owner's development rights.
A central point of contention is a newly proposed county staff condition mandating an 850-foot setback for data centers from the eastern property line. This condition is designed to create a 1,750-foot buffer between data center buildings and the neighboring Arden community and Saddle View Elementary School. WPB Logistics Owner, which owns 60 acres within the 202-acre project area and holds an option to buy an additional 75 acres, claims this setback would preclude its ability to build a data center on its land and was imposed without its consent.
The Palm Beach County Zoning Board previously recommended denial of PBA Holdings' request to nearly double the project's development rights from 2 million to 3.5 million square feet. This occurred despite Assistant County Attorney Darren Leiser advising the board that county code does not require consent from other property owners within a master plan site for zoning changes. The County Commission is now scheduled to hear the same request in West Palm Beach, with anticipated crowds requiring additional viewing options.
PBA Holdings, represented by principal Enrique Tomeu, is pursuing the zoning change to allow for additional development necessary to fulfill its contract with WPB Logistics Owner. However, WPB Logistics Owner, backed by Atlanta's TPA Group, argues that PBA's actions are designed to thwart its own development ambitions and potentially devalue its contractual rights to the Phase 2 property.