Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced his office is investigating how land once slated to become a community park in southeast Taylor could now house a 135,000-square-foot data center.
The controversial project — which has prompted community protests, a lawsuit and calls for new zoning — is being developed by Blueprint Projects Data Centers.
“I will not allow any person or entity to disregard the rule of law or obligations owed to the public,” Paxton said in a prepared release Thursday. “If the Taylor data center development is unlawful, I will do everything in my power to stop it and hold those who have violated the law accountable.”
Paxton, a Republican, is running for the U.S. Senate in the Nov. 3 election against state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin.
The Press is seeking comment from the project’s developers.
The area in contention is home to generational residents who remember the original owner of the land allowing neighborhood children free access to play there.
Resident Pamela Griffin has said the owner told her father he would leave the land for the enjoyment of children.
According to neighbors and community activists, the farmer stayed true to his word, and in 1999 the Bland family transferred the property to the Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation “to be held in trust for future use as parkland.”
The Blands received $10 for the property.
Over time, the land passed through various hands.
In 2025, the Taylor Economic Development Corp. sold the property to a data center developer for $10 million.
The land was eventually purchased by NCP Travis TPP Project LLC, the investor behind the Blueprint Projects Data Center development.
Paxton said he is office intends to determine whether the property can legally be used for a data center or whether court intervention is needed to ensure it is used as a park.
In 2025, a group of residents brought a lawsuit to force the landowner to dedicate the site to parkland.
In Georgetown, 395th state District Court Judge Ryan Larson dismissed the suit and ruled the residents did not have standing due to having no financial interest in the case. The lawsuit is now under the jurisdiction of an appellate court to determine whether the claimants have standing.
Critics of the project including HALT Taylor Data Centers on Sept. 17 welcomed Paxton’s announcement.
“HALT is overjoyed that there is intention to investigate. Pamela and the neighbors are confident that the deed will be honored and park will be built and the community protected,” said coalition founder Carrie D’Anna. “Especially when the citizens come up against big businesses, what the communities lack is money and power, and we appreciate the state stepping in to represent its constituents.”
In state political circles, support for Texas data centers is shifting, with Gov. Greg Abbott calling on energy and water-use audits of the facilities, as well as directing local governments to stop awarding tax incentives.
Supporters note data centers are needed for artificial intelligence, telecommunications, banking and military support. Developers also note the centers pump millions back into local tax bases that support schools and infrastructure.
Detractors have raised concerns about noise issues, potential fears of pollution, drains on water and the power grid, and criticism of government-sponsored tax deals.
In Taylor, HALT and others are pushing for a Nov. 3 ballot initiative requiring the city to amend zoning codes to cover digital industries. City officials said they are already examining such policies.
Up to four data-center projects are planned for the Taylor area, according to reports.
