Farmer donates land for a park, city sells it for data center development — $10 gift became $10M for city government, with $30M tax expected over next decade

Back in 1999, 87 acres of land in Taylor, Texas, was donated (nominal fee $10) to the city by a farmer, with a condition in the deed that it would be used for community parkland. In 2025, the land was sold for $10M to a data center developer, who has won several legal battles against the nearby residents who are trying to stop the massive construction project, reports 404 Media. Now, the disgruntled locals are planning to take their case to an appeals court.

To introduce this case, let’s go back to 1999, when the $10 deed was inked. For some background, 404 Media talked to long-time local Pamela Griffin, who used to play on the farmland, and watched her children grow up and enjoy the same freedom. Griffin recalled that old farmer Mr. Bland used to talk to her father from time to time. According to her, Bland once said to her dad, “I see the kids don’t really have nowhere to play.” He continued, “I’m thinking about giving this land for parkland because these kids need somewhere to play.” The original July 1999 deed has since been unearthed, and the farmer did indeed follow through with his words. Now, let’s make the following chain of events simple using a bullet point timeline:

Pre 1999 – a farmer’s promise to his neighbors,

July 7, 1999 – Bland granted the land to the Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation, a public trust, for $10 on the condition it be used as a park,

2003 - Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation granted the land to another non-profit called the Williamson County Park Foundation,

2003, one month later, Williamson County Park Foundation gave the land to the City of Taylor,

2008 - the city of Taylor sold the land to the Taylor Economic Development Corporation (TEDC) for $15,000,

2025 – TEDC sold the land to data center developers Blueprint for $10 million.

This is quite a tale, and there appears to be a lot at stake for parties on either side of the dispute. In summary, locals face a multitude of undesirable side effects coming from having a data center in their backyard. There’s also the principle of the original deed being ignored, a big deal in Texas. Meanwhile, the council asserts that stopping this kind of development (in the city zone it is situated) is beyond its scope, and the millions in tax raised will benefit residents.

Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

... continue reading