Texas Family Gave 87 Acres for a Park in 1999-Now Data Center Will Be Built

A Texas woman whose family has lived for generations on the edge of Taylor says a tract of land once understood by neighbors to be destined for a park is now on course to become a data center-after changing hands several times and ultimately being sold for $10 million.

Pamela Griffin, who lives near the site and is among residents fighting the project in court, told Newsweek she grew up playing on and around the land with other neighborhood children, and remembers the former owner telling her father he wanted it to benefit the community.

"We used to play baseball, kickball, everything," Griffin said, recalling how local children spent time on and around the property because her father did not want them using another park built on a landfill. "One day, he was talking to my dad, and he told my dad that he's going to give the land for this community for a park."

Documents reviewed by Newsweek show the land was originally sold in 1999 by members of the Bland family for a nominal $10, with the grantee described in the deed as the Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation, "to be held in trust for future use as parkland by Williamson County, Texas." The original tract was described as 87.797 acres.

Daniel Seguin, executive director of community services for the City of Taylor, told Newsweek the wording reflected intent rather than a binding restriction: "The deed included a note expressing that the intent of the sale was for the land to be held in trust for future use as parkland for Williamson County. This note was not a deed restriction."

The property has been zoned for industrial-type use since the 1970s, and no staff involved in the more recent development discussions were aware of the original Bland family intent at the time the land was sold for the Blueprint data center project, according to the City.

"No staff at the City or the EDC were aware of the original intent of the Bland family for the use of the property as parkland during discussions about the Blueprint Projects Data Center development or the property sale," Seguin said, adding that many of the earlier decisions were handled by staff "that no longer work for the City."

How the Land Changed Hands

The deed trail and supporting records show the property moved through several entities over the years. After the 1999 transfer to the Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation, it was conveyed in 2003 to the Williamson County Park Foundation, then later that year to the City of Taylor.

City officials said the parkland language had already fallen out of the chain of title by that point. "When the Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation granted the land to the Williamson County Park Foundation in 2003, the note about a future use as parkland was not on the deed. The note was also not included when the Williamson County Park Foundation transferred ownership to the City of Taylor in 2003," Seguin said.

In 2008, the city transferred the tract to the Taylor Economic Development Corporation (EDC), and in April 2025, it was sold onward to a project entity tied to the planned data center development.

"In 2008 the City of Taylor transferred the property to the Taylor Economic Development Corporation. The City received 39 acres and $15,000 in exchange," Seguin said. "The Taylor Economic Development Corporation sold the land to NCP Travis TPP Project LLC (Blueprint) in 2025."

The sale to the data center developer generated $10 million for the EDC, while city officials say it is projected to bring about $30 million in city revenue over 10 years and another $20 million for the school district.

"Those funds are being put to work right now for the construction of a wastewater line which will provide jobs and tax revenue for generations to come," Seguin said, adding the project represents "a net benefit of $60 million to our community."

But Griffin said residents do not see the land sale as a win for the neighborhood.

"The city is thinking about money," she told Newsweek. "All money ain't good money. My community cannot afford to move anywhere. We're talking about people whose families worked hard for this land."

She said neighbors worry not only about potential impacts associated with data center development, but also about what the project could mean for a historically Black and Hispanic area where many families have deep roots and limited ability to relocate.

Griffin said her family's concern is about legacy as much as land use. "When my parents were buying land, they had to buy outside the city limits due to segregation. My parents and other Black residents of Taylor could not purchase residential lots until after the 1968 Fair Housing Act," she said. "They worked hard for this so they could pass it down. Now we're worried we won't be able to give it to the next generation."

Residents Say They Learned Through Flyers

One of the most striking parts of Griffin's account is how she says the neighborhood first learned about the proposal. She told Newsweek that residents did not hear about the project directly at first, but instead through women distributing flyers in the area. That prompted her and relatives to research data centers and organize opposition.

"We didn't hear nothing about it at first," Griffin said. "It was two, three ladies, good Samaritan ladies, came in our neighborhood and put flyers on our door and started telling us about it." She said that after researching the issue with siblings, the family concluded: "This is not good for our community at all."

The city disputes any suggestion that the project was hidden, saying the development was discussed at a public EDC meeting on August 2, 2024, then at a public City Council meeting on August 8, 2024, with the property sale approved at a public EDC meeting on April 11, 2025. A planning and zoning hearing followed on June 10, 2025, with notice sent to property owners within 200 feet as required.

"Just like any other property owner, the EDC was not required to conduct community outreach before selling the property," Seguin said, adding that residents began turning out in large numbers during the later planning stage.

City officials also say the site's employment center zoning already allowed a data center as a permitted use, meaning local government had no legal ability to block the project based solely on the type of development.

"It's important to understand that the property's employment center zoning already allowed data centers as a permitted use by right, giving the City no legal ability to prevent the project based on the type of development," Seguin said.

What the Dispute Is Really About

The legal and political dispute now appears to turn on a narrower but consequential question: what legal weight, if any, the original 1999 parkland language still carries.

The city maintains the parkland language is immaterial. "This note was not a deed restriction," Seguin said.

The city's position creates a sharp split between what was originally intended for the land under the original deed of sale, and what the city believes it is permitted to do with that land under the law.

For Griffin, though, the issue is more personal than technical. She said she and relatives eventually located the old deed themselves and took it to a lawyer, who is now representing residents as they pursue an appeal against Blueprint Data Centers.

The case was initially dismissed and the judge denied the residents’ request for a temporary injunction seeking to pause commercial development of the land, finding that the residents lacked standing to enforce the deed. Despite this, Griffin said that the group will continue to fight and are currently working on an appeal.

Newsweek reached out to Blueprint Data Centers via email for comment.

"When I was a little girl, Mr. Bland told my dad he was going to give it to the community for a park," Griffin said.

She added that, in her view, the core issue is whether the former owner's wishes were honored: "This man had a wish for this community."

Questions That Remain

Another unresolved issue is the size. The original deed describes an 87.797-acre tract, while more recent city and project materials refer to a site of roughly 52 acres.

City officials said the difference reflects later subdivision rather than a discrepancy. "Some of the land was sold to the Steel Network, who is building a steel building frame fabrication facility between the proposed data center and the loop," Seguin said.

"The rest is included in the buffer between the neighborhood and the proposed data center and is still held and maintained by the City."

They added that the project includes a buffer of more than 600 feet between industrial buildings and homes, alongside existing nearby parkland, noting the site lies about 2,000 feet from the 24-acre Fannie Robinson Park.

For now, Griffin says residents intend to keep fighting. "If we can't stop it, we're still going to fight," Griffin said. "We're going to make it as hard as possible. We're going to keep demanding answers."

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This story was originally published June 20, 2026 at 5:30 AM.