Project Tango delay: Both sides gear up toward July showdown

Developers of Project Tango, a proposed hyperscale data center at 20-Mile Bend in Palm Beach County, successfully sought a near-three month postponement of their hearing until July 15. The project aims to expand its data center space from an approved 200,000 square feet to 1.8 million square feet, with landowners PBA Holdings and WPB Logistics (backed by TPA Group of Atlanta) citing the delay as an opportunity to reduce impacts and gain community support. Opponents, primarily organized under the Western Palm Beach Community Alliance and the "Stop the Palm Beach Data Center Project Tango" Facebook page, viewed the delay as a victory and a chance to further mobilize against the project. Ben Brown, an Arden resident and alliance board member, stated that the efforts to fight the project are working. Residents have flooded county commissioners' inboxes with objections, arguing that the county's 2016 classification of data centers as 'light industrial' is outdated for modern hyperscale facilities and that the project should be reclassified as 'heavy industrial.' Concerns raised by opponents include excessive electrical and water usage, constant noise, and the project's proximity to the Arden neighborhood and Saddle View Elementary School. Developers, promoting their site as the Central Park Commerce Center, counter that the project will draw electricity directly from a nearby Florida Power & Light Co. plant, utilize a closed-loop water coolant system, and align with the site's 2016 framework. They also emphasize public benefits such as an expanded tax base, high-skill job creation, and economic diversification. Mayor Sara Baxter, a County Commissioner, has expressed her intention to vote against the project, potentially leading to her recusal from deliberations.