A mother and daughter in Kentucky have declined a combined $26 million offer for their farmland from a developer representing a mysterious Fortune 100 company interested in constructing a large data center on the property.
Ida Huddleston, the 82-year-old owner of a 71-acre property in Mason County valued at $60,000 per acre totaling $4.26 million, has rejected the offer multiple times and expressed frustration with the developer's persistence, as reported by LEX 18.
Her daughter, Delsia Bare, also turned down an offer of $48,000 per acre for her 463-acre property, amounting to over $22 million, stating she does not want or need the money.
The decision to decline the offer was based on their belief that the data center's presence would impact the community negatively. They expressed concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the project, particularly the developer's refusal to disclose their identity, which has strengthened their resolve to retain ownership of their land.
The proposed data center is planned to be situated near Big Pond Pike Road in rural Kentucky, approximately an hour and a half from Lexington. Local officials anticipate significant economic transformation in the region through the project, with Tyler McHugh, the economic development director for the Maysville-Mason County Industrial Development Authority, suggesting the creation of approximately 400 full-time jobs and over 1,500 construction jobs.
Despite the potential economic benefits, the mother and daughter remain doubtful about the longevity of the jobs post-construction. They suspect that the promised jobs may not materialize as anticipated.
While the women are steadfast in their decision not to sell, the Mason County Fiscal Court still needs to approve the project. This resistance to selling land contrasts with recent trends, as tech companies are increasingly investing in rural areas for data center development. Amazon Data Services recently purchased George Washington University's Virginia Science and Technology Campus for $427 million, while Microsoft plans to construct 15 data centers in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
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