Meeting Confirms Plans for Second Major Brookwood Data Center

A second major data center development in Brookwood, Alabama, is moving forward after the city's Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended the annexation and rezoning of 374 acres. The project, proposed by Project Brookwood LLC on behalf of New York real estate developer Youngwoo & Associates, involves changing the land's classification from single-family residential to M1 light industrial to accommodate a "Data Center Campus."

This new development is distinct from a previously identified 2 million square foot data center project by Applied Digital, which is planned for different land. The Youngwoo & Associates project site is across from Brookwood Middle School, a proximity that has raised concerns among residents.

At a packed commission meeting, residents pressed officials for transparency regarding the specific nature of the development before a vote on rezoning. Despite an attorney for Project Brookwood LLC stating that specific uses were not yet "set in stone," the application explicitly mentions a "Data Center Campus." Mayor Joe Barger, who sits on the board, defended the rezoning as consistent with the city's 30-year vision for an industrial parkway, even suggesting the middle school might need to be relocated due to industrial growth.

The commission's recommendation now advances to the Brookwood City Council, which holds the final authority and is scheduled to vote on September 15. The Mayor declined to answer questions from the media after the meeting.