More than 50 residents attended the June 1 City Commission meeting to oppose the project, despite weekend social media posts and a public statement from the city’s communications department stating that the proposal was not on the agenda and was still undergoing an initial staff review.
Eighteen people spoke against the proposal during audience comments, often drawing applause from the crowd.
City staff from multiple departments are scheduled to discuss the concept plan at a June 3 Development Review Team meeting and provide preliminary feedback to the applicant.
The June 3 “closed-door virtual meeting” is not a hearing. No elected officials will participate, and no votes will be counted or decisions made. The review is meant to identify potential roadblocks and requirements to move forward.
The local debate over data centers in Polk County is hitting a boiling point. Hot on the heels of the controversial project approved down in Fort Meade, a new local proposal called Project Swan has surfaced in west Lakeland—and grassroots opposition is mobilizing fast before it even hits a public floor.
Here is a breakdown of what is happening on the ground right now:
What is Project Swan?
A Tampa-area developer has submitted an initial concept application to build a 600,000-square-foot hyperscale data center complex. The proposed site covers roughly 60.5 acres of undeveloped land near Old Tampa Highway and Wilkinson Road (specifically at 923 Wilkinson Rd).
The preliminary plans outline:
- Three large data center buildings.
- Massive mechanical yards to house cooling infrastructure.
- A dedicated, on-site electrical substation.
Why the Opposition is Mobilizing Early
Because regional tensions are already high from the 4.4-million-square-foot Stonebridge data center battle in Fort Meade, Lakeland residents are skipping the wait-and-see approach.
Organizers and neighborhood groups are highlighting a familiar list of high-stakes concerns:
- Water Stress During a Drought: Hyperscale facilities can pull massive amounts of water daily for cooling. With Central Florida already managing sustained drought conditions and strict water restrictions, residents are highly protective of the local aquifer.
- Grid Strain and Utility Bills: High-compute AI and cloud operations place immense demands on power. Neighbors worry that necessary grid expansions will ultimately be subsidized by everyday Lakeland Electric ratepayers.
- The “Job Illusion”: Activists point out that while construction brings temporary labor, operational data centers run almost entirely automated. The actual footprint yields very few permanent, local jobs.
Current Status: Where Does the Project Stand?
Unlike the Fort Meade facility, which has already clawed through key approvals, Project Swan is in its absolute infancy.
- The Zoning Hurdle: Lakeland’s current city code doesn’t explicitly list data centers as an allowed use for this land. To move forward, the developer must successfully petition for land-use modifications, zoning changes, and the annexation of several parcels currently sitting in unincorporated Polk County.
- The Next Step: The application is scheduled for a closed, staff-level review by the city’s Development Review Team on Wednesday, June 3.
Community Response: Grassroots campaigns are already urging residents to email the City Commission, demanding independent electric-capacity studies and binding legal clauses ensuring tech developers—not local taxpayers—shoulder 100% of the infrastructure costs.