Proposed $2bn+ Project Tango data center in Loxahatchee, Florida has advanced to commission voting to decide its fate. A Palm Beach County judge on Tuesday denied an emergency request to halt today’s voting on the project. The move cleared the path for commissioners to deliberate on the controversial development as scheduled. However, public scrutiny on the data center is mounting as many note that much remains unanswered.

Nonetheless, County commissioners are expected to take a final vote on the project. This comes after the Zoning Board unanimously recommended denying a revised plan that would expand the project’s footprint. The proposal expected the expansion to extend to about one million square foot to 1.5 million square feet. Developers are proposing building four large AI data center buildings and five warehouses on the property. PBA Holding’s project manager, Ernie Cox noted the revised plan adheres to complaints and has done its best to address them. Other projects facing setbacks include the Dulles Cloud South data center in Prince William, Virginia, where the county’s board of supervisors rejected the application with its advancement expected to have covered a total of 43 million sq. ft. of data center space. The Dulles Cloud South data center would have been located along Sanders Lane, Logmill Road, Sudley Road and Bull Run Creek near the Loudon County border.

Outlook on the Project Tango Data Center in Loxahatchee

Cox notes that the revised plans for the Project Tango data center in Loxahatchee moves the data center and cooling equipment away from residential areas. This entails a half a mile distance from Saddle View Elementary School and also homes in the Arden Community. He also notes the computers will be housed inside the concrete-insulated building designed to keep the noise levels down. “They will not hear louder noise after we build this project than they’re hearing today,” Cox said.

Another major concern from nearby residents has been water usage. Cox says Project Tango’s updated design would use a closed-loop cooling system that recirculates about 5,000 gallons of water per day. This is a small fraction of the 500,000 gallons of water used each day by the Arden community. Once complete, Cox notes the project will create about 1.700 construction jobs and 600 permanent jobs, along with an economic boom for the region. If Project Tango is approved, developers plan to break ground in early 2027, with completion expected in 2033.

Project Overview

• Project Value: $2B+
• Location: Loxahatchee, Florida
• Project Name: Project Tango
• Status: Commission vote pending

Scope

• Four AI data center buildings
• Five warehouse buildings
• Up to 1.5M sq ft development
• Closed-loop cooling system planned

Project Highlights

• Final county vote scheduled
• Revised site layout submitted
• Data center moved farther from homes
• Major AI infrastructure project

Community Concerns

• Noise impacts
• Water consumption
• Proximity to homes and school
• Also overall project scale

Key Developments

• Judge denied request to delay vote
• Zoning Board recommended denial
• Updated design addresses concerns
• Construction could also begin in 2027

Outlook

• County commissioners to make final decision
• Completion targeted for 2033 if approved
• Also expected to create 1,700 construction jobs
• Around 600 permanent jobs planned