Packed house, big questions over Auburndale data center proposal

AUBURNDALE, Fla. — Roughly 500 people packed an Auburndale meeting Tuesday night to hear more about a proposed data center, with hundreds more watching online, as questions about water use, electricity, and the project's impact on the community took center stage. The proposed Auburndale Technology Center would convert two existing warehouse buildings along Pace Road into a data storage and computing facility. Texas-based Hillwood Development Company says the project is designed to be a smaller alternative to large, hyperscale data centers and to address concerns that have emerged around similar developments. Watch report from Chad Mills: Packed house, big questions over Auburndale data center proposal But for many people who came to the meeting, the assurances were not enough. “My concerns are the water usage, the electric usage, what they’re going to be doing with the water once they use it — whether it’s going to affect the environment,” said Teresa Necaise Waggle, who lives in Lake Alfred. Robert Morris, also of Lake Alfred, said he is concerned about whether the facility could put additional strain on the electric grid. WFTS “We have a new neighborhood, and our power goes out all the time, so it flickers and it’s gone out quite a few times without even rain or anything, so that’s kind of concerning,” Morris said. Why the project doesn't need another City Commission vote One of the central questions surrounding the project is how it can move forward without another vote from the Auburndale City Commission. The answer goes back to 2023. The property was annexed into Auburndale in December 2022. In December 2023, commissioners approved a change to the property's future land-use designation and rezoned it as an Industrial Planned Unit Development. The original proposal for the property included research and development buildings, an e-commerce and logistics building, and other commercial buildings. The Planning Commission voted 3-2 in October 2023 to recommend denying that initial proposal. They cited concerns about logistics, building size, and traffic. The plan was subsequently revised. Distribution as the primary use was prohibited in two of the buildings, while research and development, light manufacturing, health technology, and information sciences were among the uses allowed. The city says the 2023 zoning approval allows the property to now be used as a data center. The city approved the zoning before Hillwood acquired the property and proposed a data center and before data centers became a lightning rod issue across Florida and the country. City Manager Jeffrey Brown said the public had an opportunity to attend and comment during the 2023 approval process. He also said the city does not need another Commission vote for the current proposal. WFTS However, that does not mean the project has cleared every regulatory hurdle. City staff received an application on Nov. 4 for the interior retrofit of the two buildings. The city attorney emphasized during the workshop that the project is still going through the permitting process, with additional work required by agencies outside the City Commission. Water use and cooling remain major concerns Hillwood estimates the facility will use approximately 4,665 gallons of water per day for both buildings. The company says it will use a closed-loop cooling system that recirculates water rather than continuously drawing in new water to cool the computer systems. Hillwood argues the projected use is lower than the amount anticipated for the warehouse development previously planned for the property. The city's presentation cited an earlier estimate of approximately 9,500 gallons of potable water per day for the entire site, with a maximum permitted amount of 42,975 gallons per day under the previous development idea. But the water questions go beyond the developer's daily-use estimate. The Southwest Florida Water Management District told Tampa Bay 28 that an Environmental Resource Permit would not be required if the data center uses the existing buildings and the developer makes no other site changes. However, the district said any existing Water Use Permit would need to be modified to reflect data center operations. Those modifications would require approval from the district's Governing Board. Hillwood's senior vice president, Charles Korrell, said the project was designed to reduce its environmental footprint. “This project was designed to minimize environmental impact, use less water, and have less impact than the existing industrial use,” Korrell said. Power demand and noise also draw scrutiny Electricity is another major issue. Hillwood says the first phase of the project will require approximately 350 megawatts of electricity. At full development, the facility could require as much as 700 megawatts. Tampa Electric Company is expected to supply the power. The developer says it will pay all costs associated with generating and delivering electricity to the facility, consistent with relatively new protections in state law. WFTS Noise was also discussed. “Noise at the property line will be less than the truck distribution facility and at a level consistent with a quiet conversation,” Korrell with Hillwood said. The promise drew some laughter from the room. Developer points to jobs and economic impact Hillwood is also arguing that the project could bring significant economic benefits to Auburndale and Polk County. The company projects approximately 300 permanent jobs and as many as 1,300 construction jobs at peak activity. It also projects billions of dollars in economic and tax benefits over 15 years. Some people who attended the meeting said they see potential in that argument. Tony Acosta, who lives just outside Auburndale, said he believes the project could be a better model than some other data center proposals in Polk County. “I think in comparison to the other data centers that, you know, have been proposed around the county and around the state, I think this is probably one of the better models that they have,” Acosta said. For now, the project remains under review. While the city says another Commission vote is not required, questions about water, electricity, noise, and the remaining permits will continue to shape the debate over the Auburndale Technology Center. Share Your Story with Chad Chad Mills calls Polk County home and has witnessed the area’s growth firsthand. He is focused on sharing stories from his neighbors in Lakeland. You can use the form below to connect with Chad. Contact Chad Mills First Name Last Name Email Phone Subject Body Security Check Submit . 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