Texas City Sells Donated Parkland to Data Center Developer Despite Original Deed Restrictions
A 87-acre parcel in Taylor, Texas, donated by a farmer in 1999 with deed restrictions requiring it to be used as community parkland, was sold by the city to a data center developer for $10 million in 2025. The land passed through multiple entities over 26 years before being sold to Blueprint, a data center company that has won legal battles against local residents opposing the project. Local residents are planning to appeal the decision, citing concerns about environmental impacts and the violation of the original donor's intent.
In July 1999, a farmer named Bland donated 87 acres of land to the Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation for $10 with a deed restriction requiring it to be used as parkland. The land subsequently transferred to the Williamson County Park Foundation in 2003, then to the City of Taylor one month later. In 2008, Taylor sold the land to the Taylor Economic Development Corporation (TEDC) for $15,000, which then sold it to data center developer Blueprint for $10 million in 2025. Local residents, including longtime community member Pamela Griffin, only learned of the planned 135,000-square-foot data center in 2025 and have raised concerns about air quality, water, noise, and impacts on property values. The City Council argues it lacks authority to prevent the development due to the property's Employment Center zoning classification, though permits have not yet been approved. The city projects $30 million in tax revenue over the coming decade, with $20 million earmarked for schools, while residents plan to pursue appeals.
What's missing
The sources do not explain the legal mechanism by which the deed restriction was apparently invalidated or became unenforceable when the land transferred between entities, nor do they clarify whether the original restriction is still technically binding or what legal arguments the city used to justify the sale despite the original condition.
What different sources said
- Hacker NewsCenter
Farmer donates land for a park, city sells it for $10M as data center land
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