Dueling owners go to court over Project Tango in Palm Beach County
WPB Logistics Owner has filed a lawsuit against PBA Holdings in Palm Beach County, Florida, seeking an emergency injunction to block PBA Holdings' master plan application for Project Tango, a hyperscale AI data center. WPB Logistics claims PBA Holdings' pursuit of Project Tango is causing delays and missed market opportunities for its own data center development plans. The lawsuit aims to prevent public hearings scheduled for July 2 and July 15 where Project Tango is to be heard by county commissions.
A legal battle has erupted in Palm Beach County, Florida, between two landowning entities over the development of a hyperscale AI data center, codenamed Project Tango. WPB Logistics Owner, which owns 60 acres of a 202-acre industrial site off Southern Boulevard at 20-Mile Bend and is backed by Atlanta-based TPA Group, has sued PBA Holdings, the longtime owner of the remaining land. WPB Logistics is seeking an emergency injunction to compel PBA Holdings to withdraw its master plan application for Project Tango, which is slated for hearings before the Palm Beach County Zoning Commission on July 2 and the Palm Beach County Commission on July 15.
WPB Logistics argues that PBA Holdings' prioritization of Project Tango has hindered its own development plans, originally for warehouses but now shifted to a data center, by exposing the site to public opposition and more stringent development controls. WPB Logistics claims that if PBA Holdings' application is withdrawn, WPB could administratively convert its approved warehouse space into data center space without triggering a public hearing. PBA Holdings' project manager, Ernie Cox, declined to comment on the litigation but stated the company is diligently working to obtain necessary approvals. The lawsuit also brings to light a 2021 contract between the parties, outlining land purchase agreements and development rights, which WPB Logistics alleges PBA Holdings violated.