TULSA, Okla. — In a FOX23 Investigation, the City of Tulsa hopes to bring a multi-million-dollar data center to east Tulsa. However, some people who live nearby said they have some serious concerns.
The stretch of land that the City of Tulsa hopes will soon be home to a new $800 million data center is just west of the Creek Turnpike between 11th and 21st Streets, just south of Catoosa.
Tulsa’s Investigative Reporter Janna Clark has been looking into what it could mean for our city for months.
She also spoke with nearby neighbors who don't like the sound of the plan.
The City of Tulsa just made some changes to a zoning code, defining what a data center is.
No one is really saying yet how they would use this data center. However, they are saying they want to use this land on 320 acres that has been sitting undeveloped.
A company would pay to build the data center, but the City won't say which company it would be.
In May, city councilors passed a huge tax incentive to entice the development to move forward. It will provide the company with an 85 percent exemption on their property taxes for 25 years.
Neighbors like Audie Bradshaw don’t like being in the dark about the project.
“I’m a practical person,” Bradshaw said.
He said they’ve mostly just heard a bunch of rumors and seen trucks coming and going from that land.
“As far as we’re concerned, we don’t like that, we don’t know if we can do anything about it,” he said.
Neighbors did get a letter in the mail this week showing the City’s plans to divide the land for what’s called “Project Anthem.”
In April, FOX23 told you city councilors got their first look at Project Anthem.
In this urban and economic committee meeting, councilors watched a presentation given by Spencer Mitchell, Director of Economic Incentives for PartnerTulsa. He outlined the goal of Project Anthem.
“Over the past two years or so, our office, along with the City of Tulsa has been working with a job recruitment project,” he said.
Neighbors just across the road told FOX23 they're concerned about this hurting their property values. They also think it will make traffic worse.Plus, they think the data center could be way too noisy.
“Well, the noise and just adds to the City out here, and I'mout here, because I'm out here in the country,” Bradshaw said. “That’s the reason we got out here.”
“I like that I like the peace, quietness, here,” Bradshaw added. “Cars going in? That would be a real problem.”
If this data center comes to east Tulsa, it wouldn’t be the first.
Google built its data center in Mayes County in 2007.
Earlier this year, Polaris Technology announced it would invest $100 million for a data center in Muskogee.
City Councilor Laura Bellis said in the meeting she's been getting questions about the noise.
“I just wasn't sure if that had been part of the discussion related to like, basically noise pollution that can happen for just like loud data system processing,” Bellis said.
Mitchell said data processing servers are being upgraded constantly to make sure residents aren’t negatively affected by noise pollution.
“I think that all companies that operate data centers are aware of kind of past complaints about the noise,” he said. “And I can tell you that that kind of improvements, not only the design, but like the cooling tower systems for actually cooling, the data processing servers are being upgraded constantly to make sure that residents are, you know, not negatively affected by any kind of noise pollution.”
PartnerTulsa said another goal of the project is to develop other areas in east Tulsa.
PartnerTulsa said the data center will add 50 new jobs.The average salary would be $63,000. Construction could begin in the Spring of 2026.
They want to know what Tulsans think about Project Anthem.
In May, a few Tulsans spoke up at this city council meeting. Some said they didn’t like the idea of giving such a big tax incentive. Others said they just wish they had more information about the project.
“I just think there should be more transparency,” one person said at the meeting. “I have a whole page of questions.”
“We want it in our City supposedly and in the long run it will be good, but the people who have to live by it won’t like it,” Bradshaw said. “But do we have the power to do anything about it? I don’t know.”
“If I had the power to prevent it from coming in, I probably would say, don’t,” Bradshaw said.
The City said they don’t plan to announce the company who wants to build the data center and that it would be up to that company to make the announcement.
Next week, Project Anthem will go in front of the planning commission to get final approval for their property line.
FOX23 will keep you updated on what happens next.
