BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — A company looking into building a data center in Broken Arrow is no longer interested.
In a post on the city's Facebook page, they wrote:
"Late last week, the owner of the land between State Highway 51 and the Creek Turnpike notified City Administration that the letter of intent (LOI) agreement he had with a prospective company to sell the property for development had expired."
WATCH: Proposed data center in Broken Arrow not moving forward
In April, 2 News Oklahoma reported that the company reached out to the Economic Development Cooperation in BA, but no request or meetings with city leaders ever took place.
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Data Center in Broken Arrow?
“Despite never being contacted by the site selector, or the company itself, and with the very limited information we had about the potential project, we felt it was important to maintain the trust we’ve built with citizens and share with them what we knew,” said City Manager Michael Spurgeon. “While this project idea seems to have faded, I do not expect that this will be the last company to consider developing a data center in Broken Arrow. However, our citizens now understand our process to keep them informed when the next company, or its representation, reaches out to us.”
Spurgeon said the city never recruited the project because the land is privately owned. The prospective company, whose identity the city still does not know, did not exercise its due diligence, allowing the letter of intent with the property owner to expire.
“The City Council and I are firmly committed to complete transparency, open, and constructive conversations with citizens,” said Spurgeon. “I’m thankful for the citizens who contacted us directly with their concerns. We learned a lot from them. In fact, we share a lot of their concerns. As such, our due diligence continues with the goal to learn as much as we can through a comprehensive review of data centers, so we are prepared when another request should be made to meet with us.”
Broken Arrow resident Lori Gracey said she appreciated the way city leaders kept the public informed throughout the process.
"That's what I appreciate about leadership here… they're always willing to reach out, tell us what's going on, and welcome our input. Transparency matters," Gracey said.
Gracey said her concerns were not about data centers in general, but about the proposed location next to a residential area.
"It was right next to a residential area… these things suck up utilities and water. If we have one, let's put it where it won't impact homes," Gracey said.
"All the feedback that we received, which is exactly why we put it out there, so the community would have an opportunity to weigh in based on what we know at this particular time," Spurgeon said.
Gracey said the city's openness, from social media updates to public meetings, builds trust and gives residents a voice.
"They open large venues so citizens can weigh in… because this is our town. We all live here together," Gracey said.
Spurgeon said if another offer comes forward after July 1st, a new state law would require the property owner to notify certain entities about any possible data center plans.
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