Brookwood Mayor Gives Fiery Defense of Data Centers at Town Hall
Brookwood, Alabama, held a contentious town hall meeting where residents questioned Mayor Joe Barger and the City Council about three proposed data center projects. Concerns centered on proximity to a middle school, environmental impact on Hurricane Creek, noise, and electricity costs. A council vote on rezoning for one project is scheduled for September 15.
Residents of Brookwood, Alabama, voiced strong opposition and concerns at a recent town hall meeting regarding at least three data center projects proposed for the town's industrial corridor. Mayor Joe Barger and the City Council faced questions about the projects' potential impacts, two weeks before a critical council vote.
The proposed data centers include a 2,000,000 square-foot facility by Texas-based Applied Digital, which has already secured a state environmental permit. Separately, Youngwoo & Associates, operating locally as Project Brookwood LLC, seeks to annex and rezone hundreds of acres near Brookwood Middle School. Provident Data Centers also owns 500 acres north of Interstate 20, which has recently been returned to Brookwood's planning jurisdiction.
Citizens at the town hall raised issues such as the proximity of a project to Brookwood Middle School, potential environmental damage to Hurricane Creek, increased noise pollution, and impacts on local power bills. Mayor Barger defended the projects, citing his research and discussions with other communities hosting data centers, stating that many initial concerns about noise, water and utility usage, safety, and environmental impact had been resolved. He emphasized that the projects represent an economic growth opportunity, promising 2,000 to 3,000 construction jobs and 100 permanent positions.
Despite the Mayor's assurances and the distribution of a "Fact vs. Fiction" information sheet by the city, many residents, including former mayor Larry Holloway, demanded more transparency and time for deliberation, criticizing an NDA signed by Mayor Barger related to the Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority. The City Council is scheduled to vote on rezoning land for the Project Brookwood (Youngwoo & Associates) on September 15.