In July 1999, local farmer Charles Bland deeded nearly 88 acres of agricultural land in Taylor, Texas, to a public trust for a nominal fee, strictly stipulating that it be held for future use as a community park.

Over the next quarter-century, the property quietly shifted between non-profit foundations before the City of Taylor gained control and transferred it to the Taylor Economic Development Corporation (TEDC). In 2025, the TEDC triggered a massive public outcry by selling the promised parkland to Blueprint Projects, a private data center developer, for $10 million.  The controversial transaction has ignited an intense legal and emotional battle within the largely working-class community.

Neighborhood families, who envisioned the open fields as a recreational space for local children, filed a lawsuit to block the construction of a 135,000-square-foot industrial facility slated to sit a mere 500 feet from residential doorsteps.

Opponents allege that officials buried the original property deed to prioritize tax revenue, which the city projects will yield $30 million over the next decade.

While a local judge recently dismissed the residents' initial lawsuit and denied an injunction against construction, disgruntled neighbors refuse to back down.

Activists have escalated their fight to a Texas appeals court and recently delivered a citizen-led petition boasting 14,000 signatures to the Taylor City Council, demanding strict new zoning laws to prohibit data centers entirely until dedicated digital infrastructure boundaries are established.