County denial could bolster behind-scenes case against AI data center
Palm Beach County Commissioners denied a zoning request for a 2 million-square-foot AI data center at the Project Tango site due to incompatibility with the county’s comprehensive growth plan. Despite the denial, two competing proposals for data centers on the property are still under administrative review, potentially leading to more hyperscale AI data center space. The county is also preparing a moratorium to block new data center proposals, and the two property owners are suing one another.
Palm Beach County Commissioners voted 5-1 to deny a controversial zoning request for a 2 million-square-foot AI data center, known as Project Tango, near the Southern Boulevard site. The decision followed an 11-hour hearing marked by public opposition and the removal of four participants. Opponents, including residents of the nearby Arden community and members of the Western Palm Beach Community Alliance, successfully argued that the project was incompatible with the county’s comprehensive growth plan.
Despite the commission's denial, the project is not entirely dead. Commissioners pressed Zoning Director Wendy Hernandez to confirm that their points regarding incompatibility would influence ongoing administrative reviews of two competing proposals from landowners PBA Holdings and WPB Logistics Owner. These reviews, which could lead to an even larger data center footprint, will occur behind closed doors without public testimony.
Adding to the complexity, the county is preparing a moratorium, announced July 7, to block new data center proposals for up to a year, though existing proposals submitted before this date will still be processed. Legal battles also complicate the situation, with WPB Logistics having previously sued the county, a complaint it later dismissed, and the two property owners, PBA Holdings and WPB Logistics, currently engaged in lawsuits against each other regarding their contractual obligations and land rights. Commissioner Maria Marino cast the sole vote in favor of the data center proposal.