87 acres once gifted as Texas parkland now set for major data center
An 87-acre tract in Taylor, Texas, originally designated as parkland, has been sold to Blueprint for a $1 billion data center development. Local residents have opposed the project, filing a lawsuit that was dismissed by a state district court but is now under appeal. The City of Taylor maintains the property is zoned for industrial use and the project meets all requirements.
A significant data center project by Blueprint is slated for Taylor, Texas, on an 87-acre parcel of land once intended for public parkland. The property, initially gifted to a public trust for $10 in 1999, was subsequently transferred through the Williamson County Park Foundation and the City of Taylor before being sold to the Taylor Economic Development Corporation in 2008. In April 2025, the corporation sold the land to Blueprint for $10 million for the construction of a 135,000 square-foot data center, a project estimated to be a $1 billion investment.
The development has faced considerable pushback from Taylor residents, who initiated a lawsuit against Blueprint. Although a state district court judge dismissed the case in October 2025, the plaintiffs have appealed the decision to Austin's Third Court of Appeals, indicating ongoing legal challenges. The proposed facility is expected to include three buildings, an electricity substation, backup generators, and a closed-loop cooling system.
The City of Taylor supports the project, anticipating approximately $30 million in additional revenue over the next decade, which they claim could be used to reduce property taxes and invest in public services. The city highlights that the property has been zoned for industrial use since 2005 and was designated an employment center in its 2023 comprehensive plan update. An environmental impact study conducted by HDR for the city reportedly found that concerns regarding noise and light pollution would be contained, and water consumption would be reduced compared to other data center developments.