A proposal to build a 606-acre data processing center in Indiantown has returned with significant changes after being withdrawn in April, but many residents at an open house Monday said the revisions have not addressed their concerns about the project's impact on the community.
Developers Panatonni and Ferreira presented the revised plan for Project Silver Fox, which now includes a waterless design that would not use Indiantown's water resources. Adam Kramer, an executive with Project Silver Fox, said the new plan includes natural landscaping with retained trees to block views of the data center and a reduced facility size. The project would be built on land already zoned for industrial use at the former site of a power plant.
Kramer said the project represents a billion-dollar investment that would create jobs and tax revenue for the village. Kloee Ciuperger, the CEO of the Economic Council of Indiantown, said the tax revenue could fund youth athletics, parks, and water and wastewater infrastructure. Project officials said noise levels will remain within village code, there will be no ongoing vibrations, and local water pressure will not be affected.
Penny Kaminsky-Preli, an Indiantown resident, said the facility is too close to homes and a school. She said the school is within 2.2 miles of the proposed site and teachers would be subjected to sound and heat five days a week. Kaminsky-Preli called the project a money grab and land grab. Other residents at the open house voiced concerns about constant noise, heat from the facility, and impacts on farmland and families.
The Indiantown Village Council is expected to make a decision on the site plan in the coming months, according to Kramer. If approved, construction could begin in phases as early as 2027.