MCALESTER, Okla. — The final public hearing on Project Emerald June 22 was capped with a county commission vote to table creating two tax incentive districts for the hyperscale data center project.
The de facto Pittsburg County Board of Commissioners meeting inside the Southeast Expo Center centered on only the data center project plan and public input surrounding the plan.
WATCH: Commissioners put brakes on incentives for hyperscale data center
"We just want to let everyone know that it's not just smoke and mirrors. They are hiring people from this community to work here," one resident in favor of the project said during public comment.
"This is not economic development. This is a tax avoidance structure written by the developer's attorneys," one woman said at the podium.
During a brief presentation from IREN, the Australia-based company applying to build the data center, associate director of development Jason Date doubled town on previous points told to officials.
- Previous coverage>>> 'Project Emerald': AI data center plan in Pittsburg County moving forward
"About ten percent of that 2,000 acres will cover the data center buildings. About 90 percent of that acreage will actually be used for buffer zones," Date said.
A 2,000-acre facility on both sides of South Kiowa Lake Road would draw from and pay for power from PSO while racking an estimated $24 million to the county in annual taxes and local non-profits, date said. The plans stated from IREN also include a “closed loop liquid cooling system” and one hundred permanent jobs at the two-phase facility.
The public got to ask questions to the company in a June 8 public hearing. But neighbors could only state their opinions to commissioners at the June 22 hearing, with a clear majority strongly opposed to the project.
"We're not bad neighbors to each other out here in the country. We don't do that to each other. These data centers do it," Kiowa resident Zachery Ainsworth told 2 News Oklahoma. "That's why we're not (wanting) the data center."
After public comment from the crowd of roughly 200, the board voted to table creating two crucial tax incentive districts (TID) in order for the TID review committee to look over new cost estimates.
IREN submitted a statement in response to the decision from the commissioners:
"IREN appreciates the time and consideration the Pittsburg County Commissioners, local leaders, and community members have devoted to reviewing this project and discussing its potential impact on the community. We respect the Commissioners’ decision to allow additional time before taking action and understand that a project of this scale deserves careful consideration and thorough public discussion. From the beginning, our goal has been to build this project in partnership with the community and to ensure it delivers meaningful, long-term benefits for Pittsburg County. This project represents a significant long-term investment in the region, with the potential to create more than 1,000 construction jobs, over 100 permanent jobs, and generate substantial new revenue to support schools, infrastructure, public services, and community priorities for decades to come. We will continue engaging with community members, providing information, listening to feedback, and answering questions raised throughout this process. We remain excited about the opportunity to invest in this region and believe this project can create lasting benefits for the community. We look forward to continuing the conversation in the weeks ahead."
2 News will continue following updates to municipalities evaluating the data center proposal.
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