Project Swan Is Dead, For Now, But Polk County Is Paying Attention when it comes to Data Centers
It moved fast. A proposed hyperscale data center called “Project Swan” went from concept plan submission to full community revolt to withdrawal, all in about a week. And while the application is gone for now, the conversation it started across Polk County is anything but over.
Here’s what happened.
Project Swan – Initial Concept Plan
A Tampa-area developer submitted an initial concept plan to build a facility of up to 600,000 square feet on roughly 60.5 acres of undeveloped land near Old Tampa Highway and Wilkinson Road in west Lakeland, at 923 Wilkinson Road. The concept showed three large data center buildings, massive mechanical yards for cooling infrastructure, and an on-site electrical substation. LkldNow
The city was quick to clarify the project was nowhere near approval. The proposal was not on the June 1 Lakeland City Commission agenda and was undergoing only an initial concept review, a first step that does not constitute approval or denial. That message didn’t stop the people of Lakeland from showing up anyway. City of Lakeland
The Room Said NO
More than 50 residents packed the June 1 City Commission meeting to oppose the project. Eighteen people spoke during audience comments, often drawing applause. The turnout crossed every political line, uniting Republicans, Democrats, environmentalists, engineers, retirees, and anti-growth activists. LkldNow
Sam Romain, chair of the Polk County Republican Executive Committee, was the first to speak. “Some of the largest corporations in the world are coming to Florida looking for cheap power, cheap water and tax incentives,” he said. “In a lot of communities, the result is the same: The company gets benefits and ordinary families end up subsidizing them. I don’t want that to be Lakeland’s story.” Yahoo!
Residents raised concerns about water shortages, power grid strain, noise, traffic, wetland impacts, wildlife, and even surveillance. One mother told commissioners she was worried her children would grow up fighting for clean water. Jennifer Hardeman of Lakeland stood before the board and stated:
“I find it concerning that this commission posted a citywide public notice stating that the plans for the proposed data center are not on the agenda and will not be discussed during today’s meeting. Well, let me clear confusion that you may have. The data center is on our agenda and therefore will be discussed at all meetings…I would like to put all officials on notice. We expect elected officials to be our voice and to represent us.”
On the county level, the Polk County Board of County Commissioners heard similar public outcry at their June 2 meeting. Commissioner Becky Troutman clarified what many residents were hoping to hear resolved, that the county’s hands are tied here. Because the Project Swan site falls within Lakeland’s jurisdiction, Polk County commissioners have no jurisdiction over the application or its approval.
What the City’s Own Review Found
The same day the developer pulled out, the city released its Development Review Team comment document, compiled across 15 city departments, posting it on the City of Lakeland Facebook page. It was not exactly a green light.
City Planner Audrey McGuire’s zoning analysis was the most significant finding. Lakeland’s Land Development Code does not specifically list data centers as a permitted use, meaning they are presumed to be prohibited unless the applicant can argue the use is essentially the same as another permitted use. McGuire also wrote that data centers “are not major employment/business center uses and may result in negative impacts to surrounding residential uses.” LkldNow
The review also flagged that portions of the property sit in unincorporated Polk County, meaning annexation would be required. City utilities raised red flags about limited wastewater capacity. The electrical department asked whether the developer was prepared to sign a minimum 15-year service agreement and cover 100% of infrastructure improvement costs. The floodplain reviewer identified a FEMA Zone A floodplain on the site and listed 21 separate concerns. Transportation staff flagged the need for a major traffic study and raised concerns about narrow bridges on Wilkinson Road.
The Developer Walked
The application, code-named “Project Swan,” is now marked withdrawn in the city’s online system. The developer’s legal counsel canceled the scheduled June 3 Development Review Team meeting after receiving the comment document. No reason was given publicly. LkldNow
Had the project moved forward, the next steps would have required the applicant to apply for necessary approvals, triggering hearings and consideration by both Planning and Zoning and the City Commission. That process would have given the public many more opportunities to weigh in. WFLA
For now, Project Swan is over. Whether it, or something like it, comes back is another question. Polk County is already watching what’s happening in Fort Meade, where a 4.4-million-square-foot data center approved by city commissioners is facing state pushback. The data center conversation in this county is not going away. It just got louder.
Down the road in Fort Meade, a city of 5,300, commissioners voted 5-0 on April 15 to approve a development agreement for Stonebridge’s proposed 4.4-million-square-foot hyperscale data center on a former phosphate mine off US-98, and only one of the 41 people who showed up to comment was in favor of it. The day after that vote, Florida Department of Commerce Secretary Alex Kelly sent a letter to Fort Meade’s mayor saying the project “presents significant risks to Central Florida’s energy capacity, water resources, and transportation infrastructure.” An Earthjustice attorney has since asked the city to revoke the approval altogether, pointing to procedural violations and a water permit concern flagged by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The project hasn’t broken ground. WFLA
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