In 1999 a Taylor, Texas farmer transferred 87.97 acres to the Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation for a nominal $10, with a deed clause demanding park use. The parcel changed hands through nonprofit intermediaries before the city acquired it in 2008 in Texas. Two years ago the city’s economic development arm sold the site to data‑center builder Blueprint for $10 million, sparking a legal showdown.

Residents, headed by longtime neighbor Pamela Griffin, learned of the 135,000‑square‑foot data center in 2025 and sued, claiming the sale breaches the park deed. They warn of air, water, noise and property‑value harm. The city cites mitigation—barrier wall, closed‑loop cooling, private substation—and projects $30 million in tax revenue over a decade, $20 million for schools.

Taylor’s zoning designates the plot as an Employment Center, allowing form but not function changes, which the council says limits its authority to block Blueprint’s project. The developer has not yet secured planning permits, and Griffin’s group is taking the case to the Third Court of Appeals in Austin. The dispute underscores how Texas deed covenants can clash with economic development goals.