Texas Farmer Sold 87 Acres for $10 in 1999 – Now City Cashes Out to Data Centers for $10M

A shocking betrayal of a community trust has emerged in Taylor, Texas, where city officials quietly sold 87 acres of donated land for $10 million to data center developers, flipping a promised public park into a hub for AI infrastructure. The land, donated in 1999 by 70-year-old farmer Mr. Bland on the condition it become a safe playground for neighborhood children, now hosts a 135,000-square-foot data center just 500 feet from a local resident’s home who has spent a year fighting the project. As global demand for crypto and AI computing infrastructure surges, this story highlights the ruthless real estate battles behind the digital economy – and why HODLers should watch land-use policies that could drive future value in blockchain-adjacent sectors.

From $10 Gift For a Park to $10 Million Data Center Sale

The original sale deed is still on record but is being used and sold for a different purpose. The land parcel was sold to Taylor Economic Development Corporation to data center developer Blueprint for $10 million in 2025. The sale went from a $10 handshake gift to a serious $10 million transaction in 26 years. The City of Taylor had sold the land parcel to TEDC for $15,000 in 2008. This is why TEDC decided to pave the way for a data center to emerge in the location. Locals will now have to deal with AI data centers instead of a park.