GEORGETOWN — A civil case underway before the 395th state District Court this week will decide whether a 60-megawatt data center can be built in Taylor or if neighbors might see the land used for a future park.
The litigation to preserve the parcel on Taylor’s south side was initiated by a group of residents against Blueprint Data Centers, which wants to build a facility on 53 acres at 1601 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Judge Ryan Larson heard arguments Monday on why a temporary restraining order against Blueprint should be lifted or made permanent.
The plaintiffs are arguing the land’s former owners sold it years ago with the stipulation the acreage would be turned into a green space for community enjoyment.
Attorneys on both sides said the issue boils down to property rights, with the court expected to issue a ruling — possibly by the end of the week.
“I agree this is about property rights. It’s about property rights in Texas.” said attorney Christopher R. Mugica of the Jackson Walker LLP law firm representing Yaerid Jacob, CEO of Blueprint Data Centers. “My client owns that property. He is free to develop and improve that property as every Texas citizen is with their property.”
Mugica was part of a four-person legal team representing NCP Travis BPP Project LLC, the parent company of Blueprint Data Centers.
He said Blueprint Data Centers owns the land free and clear, as the deed “contains zero records of restrictions.”
Meanwhile, community supporter Carrie D’Anna said she was happy to see so many people show up at the courthouse on behalf of the neighborhood effort to halt Blueprint Data Centers.
“I think the fact we’re coming with a deed issue, and that the data center brought all these other issues into the case, really shows they have a need to be concerned about who has the right to use that property,” D’Anna said.
The lawsuit and courtroom testimony outlined a history of purchases, promises and plans.
SUBHED: Parkland
The former landowners, identified as the Cromwell family, donated the land to the nonprofit Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation in 1999, according to the suit. At the top of the deed is the line “to be held in trust for future use as parkland by Williamson County.”
That line was omitted from later land transfers, and the property was eventually acquired by the city of Taylor with no obvious restrictions, according to records.
Taylor zoned the land to allow industrial use.
While neighbors said the former owners’ wishes seemed clear, attorneys from Jackson Walker called up real-estate appraiser David Bolton to throw doubt on the legality of the wording.
Bolton said in his experience deed restrictions have specific clauses or other references within the body of the deed, not a simple line.
SUBHED: Plaintiffs’ arguments
Siblings Pamela, Corey, Michelle and Ralph Griffin and neighbor Polly Randle, all residents of the community near the land Blueprint Data Centers purchased for development, hope that Larson upholds the Cromwell’s intentions.
“(Frank Cromwell) was a gentle soul and he allowed us to have something because he used to let us play there all the time,” Pamela Griffin told the court.
Griffin and her co-plaintiffs are represented by Christopher Osborn of the Osborn Law Firm in Taylor.
Griffin has previously said the land was donated for parkland because the owner recognized neighborhood children needed the greenery. He allowed them to fish in the creek and camp in the field.
SUBHED: Buffer zone
A city official testified there is a buffer zone between the proposed data center and the neighborhood, but parkland is not the intended use.
When Blueprint Data Centers purchased the 53 acres from the Taylor Economic Development Corp., that left a 15-acre swath about 500-600 feet wide still owned but the EDC.
Mugica asked Assistant City Manager Carly Pearson during her testimony if she knew the parcel still owned by the city is not part of the original acreage referred to on the deed from the Cromwell family.
He indicated the Cromwell deed covers the 53 acres owned by Blueprint Data Centers and 27 adjoining acres sold to The Steel Network by Taylor EDC earlier this year.
Pearson said the 15-acres between the residences and the data center is zoned as civic space, but the city’s proposed future use for the property does not include parkland.
“In the city of Taylor comprehensive plan, ‘neighborhood greenfield’ is intended for commercial- and residential-type development,” Pearson said.
If Larson rules against the data center, it could mean the original intent of the owners would be upheld and the land eventually could be used for a regional park, except for the 15 acres still owned by the city.
Jacob said that while he does have title insurance on the land, it would only cover the $10 million he paid for the parcel, adding he would lose about $3 million he has already invested in the project.
SUBHED: History lesson
The Taylor City Council voted in 2024 to give Blueprint Data Centers an incentive package to support its development on the south side property. The council and the Economic Development Corp. approved a 50% rebate on property taxes for 10 years on each of the three phases of construction for the $1 billion project.
In addition, the company would get a 50% rebate on local sales-and-use tax collected on construction material purchases.
Data centers traditionally employ only a small number of people but pump sizable taxes back into city and school district coffers. In this case, neighbors voiced concerns about environmental issues including noise, light and electromagnetic frequencies.
The issue has sparked controversy in Taylor. More than 30 residents attended the court session, many dressed in red to show solidarity with the Griffins.
Pamela Griffin said her family is using their own money to pay attorney fees, and she has received donations from concerned residents across Taylor.
Supporters set up a Go Fund Me account to help pay legal fees under Fund the Fight: Stop the BPP Blueprint Data Center.
More information about the NCP project can be found at taylortx.gov/1293/Blueprint-Projects-Data-Center.
